


Where the Sky Meets the Sea

by EsseR3xinaLives



Category: Bishoujo Senshi Sailor Moon | Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
Genre: F/F, Past Abuse, Pre-Canon, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-25
Updated: 2018-09-03
Packaged: 2019-01-05 05:24:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 30,535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12183744
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EsseR3xinaLives/pseuds/EsseR3xinaLives
Summary: It all started on a park bench when Michiru promised to protect Haruka and, although Michiru couldn't protect Haruka in the way she promised, the blonde runner was simply grateful that her friend continued to remain by her side.  However, with the opening of the new Mugen Academy and the headmistress' constant invitations for the world-class violinist to join the new school, Haruka begins to worry that the opportunity that will take her friend away has finally come.This fanfic is focuses on how Haruka and Michiru became friends as well as awakened as guardians before infiltrating Mugen Academy.





	1. New Beginnings on the Horizon

**Author's Note:**

> Hey all!  
> So, I only know Sailor Moon from the manga and, although I learned that the anime explains how Michiru and Haruka met, I wanted to post this fic on how I think the two outer senshi finally awoke as guardians. I've had this idea for a while and was too excited to simply abandon it when I finally looked up if their backstory had been canonized in some way or another. Anyways, this does have mentions of physical and emotional child abuse so please keep that in mind when deciding to read this or not. This fic also has moments of bigotry in it as we live in a largely cis-sexist and heteronormative world. Anyways, I hope you enjoy the fic and please kudos or leave a comment!

_Two households, both alike in dignity,_

_In fair Verona, where we lay our scene,_

_From ancient grudge break to new mutiny,_

_Where civil blood makes civil hands unclean._

_From forth the fatal loins of these two foes_

_A pair of star-cross’d lovers take their life;_

_Whose misadventured piteous overthrows_

_Do with their death bury their parents’ strife_

_The fearful passage of their death mark’d love,_

_And the continuance of their parents’ rage,_

_Which, but their children’s end, nought could remove,_

_Is now the two hours’ traffic of our stage;_

_The which if you with patient ears attend,_

_What here shall miss, our toil shall strive to mend._

Michiru let the words marinate in her mind as she stared entranced by the words in front of her.  Sure, she had read the same words dozens of times, but each time she read it she felt like she came upon a new revelation.  Sometimes, she even imagined that she could find a hidden message within the words if she focused enough will into it, however she didn't feel like expending the energy today.  She turned from her booklet to read the first question on the worksheet she had due in her English class.   _Why would Shakespeare give away the ending of his play in the prologue?_

“If you wanna know the answer to the first question…” sea green eyes snapped up to meet the sky blue of her intruder.  A smug smile stretched across the young woman’s lips as she leaned against the door frame before finishing her thought.  “It’s because the ancient Englanders hadn’t come up with spoiler tags yet.”

The sea green eyes rolled at the comment, although an amused smirk couldn’t be denied the satisfaction of gracing Michiru’s face.  “I highly doubt that’s accurate, although you may get partial credit for the originality of your comment.”

Haruka guffawed as she got up from the door frame to put her hands on her hips.  “Oh please!  You won’t be so snarky when I get a perfect grade on our assignment!”

“I'll be sure to apologize for doubting you when that time comes, I assure you.”  The sarcasm dripped from Michiru’s tongue as she turned back to her work.  The blonde moved to flop onto the bed, her long blonde hair and skirt swaying with the motion.  “Although, if you are serious about getting a perfect grade, I could give you some constructive criticism.  For instance, perhaps not referring to Shakespeare as ‘ancient’ since he was alive and writing in the late 1500’s to early 1600’s, which is nowhere near being considered as such.  Also, the term is English, not ‘Englanders-’”

“And my name’s Michiru Kaiô.”  The impatient blonde interrupted, using her hand as a puppet while she mimicked her friend in a taunting high pitched voice.  “I’m so smart, and the teachers love me, but I still get sent home from school with notes to my parents about the inappropriateness of dying my hair such an unnatural color.”

The studious woman swiveled to the boisterous blonde and glared at the young woman who was simply laughing at her own antics.  The aquanette decided to  reacquaint herself with her English assignment as she turned her back to the teenage prankster.  “Well,” the irritated student scoffed as she flipped her hair dramatically in disapproval.  “ _I’m_ in shock that you even bothered to look over the assignment since you usually just make excuses that you didn’t have time and flunk everything outright.”

“That’s because this is all so stupid!”  Haruka complained as she slammed her fists into the bed to raise herself up by the elbows.  “I mean, we’re reading this stupid old book about people born into every privilege that life could offer them, but when one thing doesn’t go their way they throw a hissy fit and kill themselves just like every other stupid story you find in every other book or movie these days.  Seriously!  People would _actually_ waste two hours on this cliché idiocy!  I don’t have time for that shit.”

“You simply don’t understand since you don’t have ‘patient ears.’”  Michiru giggled as Haruka rolled her eyes at the comment.  The aquanette sighed before trying to convince her friend otherwise.  “Haruka, this story may hold a common theme amongst different stories now, but this was the story that inspired it all.”  The musician began to pour her heart to the wall beyond her computer as her voice took on a dreamy expression.  “I mean, _Romeo and Juliet_ is full of romance, and intrigue, and drama, and tragedy.  No matter how many times I reread it, I catch myself thinking towards the end that ‘maybe, this time, things will be different.  Maybe Juliet will wake up before Romeo drinks the poison chalice.  Maybe, this time, they’ll be able to live happily ever after, despite the prologue’s bulletin that that will never be…’ Maybe…”

The blonde watched her friend as she continued to get lost in her words, looking off at some distant point that only the star-struck student could find importance in.  Haruka sighed before flopping back onto the bed, resting her head on her hands.  “Whatever you say…”

The aquanette swiveled her chair again to face her friend.  Something was off with Haruka.  Or, perhaps the whole situation was off.  The violinist wasn’t certain.  She glanced at the clock on the nightstand by her bed before it dawned on her.

“Haruka… wasn’t there a track meet today?”

The girl in question visibly deflated at the statement.  “Yeah…”

The aquanette swallowed hard before pressing further.  It was only 3:47.  “It wouldn’t have ended already, would it?”

“No…”

Michiru got up from her seat to sit next to her friend as she spoke in a soft and concerned voice.  “What happened?”

The blonde squirmed a little in her spot, debating on whether she actually wanted to talk about it or not, but when she turned to take in Michiru’s concerned visage, she knew that there was no debate to be had.  The athlete sighed before planting her palms behind her to push herself into a sitting position.

“They cut me…”

“WHAT!?”  Michiru practically shrieked into the blonde’s ear, though Haruka seemed to be impervious to the volume.

“They cut me from the team…”  The blonde repeated in the same despondent fashion.

“But WHY?!”  The aquanette screamed in utter disbelief.  “You’re the fastest girl in the school!  Honestly, you may be the fastest girl in all of Japan!  And not even any of the boys can keep up with you!”

“Pffft.  Believe me…” the blonde flopped back onto the bed, the conversation proving to be incredibly taxing.  “Coach wouldn’t have let me go if she had a say in any of it…”

Green eyes went wide as Michiru turned to gaze at the floor to help calculate what could have happened that got Haruka cut from the team.  However, the answer she didn’t want to admit was the only one that had any validity.  Unable to mask the disdain in either her face or voice she turned to her friend.

“It was _her_ wasn’t it.”

The heart-broken athlete turned her head the opposite direction to avoid facing Michiru’s ire.  “Sh-she found out I forged her signature…”

The anger immediately washed out of the sea-themed girl as she immediately grew concerned with the tremor in her friend’s voice.

“I-they can’t let me do athletics if she won’t sign the permission form.”

The aquanette caught a soft sniffle from the blonde, causing Michiru to shake with a mixture of rage, pain and helplessness.  “H-Haruka.”

“Why does she hate me?”

Michiru turned to see light tears trickling down the blonde’s cheeks as the blonde turned to face her.  The violinist grabbed one of her friend’s hands and squeezed as if the gesture would drain the pain out of her friend.  “Because she’s an idiot.”

The violinist knew that she developed an intense emotion towards the woman that her friend was referring to.  Hate.  She knew that, with all her being, she honestly hated the woman.  The woman who punished her friend for having her own dreams and tore her down for not being the way that she believed her daughter should be instead of allowing the blonde athlete the chance to be herself.

Michiru _hated_  Haruka’s mother.

“I wish I were a boy…”  Haruka mumbled through her tears letting her eyes leave the familiar sea green.  “Mom probably would’ve liked me better if I’d been born a boy instead.”

Michiru squeezed the single hand she held with both of hers as she tried to will the pain away, but kept her gaze on her friend.  “Haruka…”

“IT’S NOT FAIR!!!”  The blonde screamed as she rose from the bed tearing her hand away from her friend as she used it to gesture the gross injustice of her mother.  “If I were a boy, my mom wouldn’t force me into this stupid skirt everyday! Or take me off the track team because it’s not what ‘proper ladies’ do! Or gripe to me about how ‘real girls’ behaved and how I’m a FAILURE OF A DAUGHTER!!!!”

Haruka hid her face in her hands as she began to sob profusely.  “It’s not fair…”  she continually chanted between her sobs.  “It’s not fair.  It’s not fair!”

The heart-broken violinist got up and rushed to be in front of her friend.  She gently took her friends hands into her own as she slowly lowered them from the athlete's face so her eyes could lock onto sky blue before speaking in a near whisper.  “Hey…”

The blonde sniffed, maintaining her friend’s gaze for a moment before Michiru cautiously moved in to embrace the athlete, who slowly rose her arms to wrap around the aquanette’s waist.  Haruka buried her face into her friend’s shoulder as she continued to cry while the violinist began to rub small circles into her friend’s back through the golden curtain of hair.

“It’s not fair…”  the small voice continued to recant.

“No, it isn’t fair.”  Michiru stated in response as she held Haruka’s body close to hers.  “It isn’t fair that someone as beautiful, wonderful and talented as you, is stuck with someone so pretentious, judgmental and stupid as your mother!  Your mother will never understand just how incredible a person you are!”

“But what if she’s right!”  Haruka wailed into Michiru’s shoulder as her fingers began to clutch at her friend’s shirt.  “What if I’m just a failure of a daughter!  Face it Michi, I'm just better off de-”

“She isn’t right Haruka!!!”  The aquanette practically screamed, not allowing the blonde to voice the thought that they both knew was coming.  She moved her hands to the blonde’s shoulders so that they had the distance to make eye contact.  “You have so much to offer!  And if your mom refuses to acknowledge that because of her stupid, narrow-minded idiocy then that’s her loss!”  The violinist took a deep breath to release the anger, before continuing in a softer tone.  “Haruka, you truly are the most incredible person I know, and I promise you that, one day, your mom’s going to regret all of this because you’ll be able to do the most extraordinary of things someday and your mother will simply bicker in her bitterness that her life has fallen to pieces when you were able to build an entire future with your own.”

Michiru held Haruka’s gaze as she offered a soft, comforting smile, running her thumbs across her friend's face to wipe the tears.  “You’re not a failure as a daughter, or any other kind of failure.  Because you succeed in the aspects that matter the most.  You come to all of my violin recitals and always ask if I need a pianist for my next one, even if I don't have a performance booked.  If someone’s picking on someone else you immediately jump in to defend the person being belittled.  And whenever you find someone hurt, you always cheer them up with words of comfort, or a joke, or even a treat if you have an extra on hand…”

“You are the kindest, most incredible person I know Haruka…”  The last of the blonde’s tears were threatening to fall as a few tears treked down Michiru's cheeks.  “Don’t let your mother bring you down.”

There was a long pause before Haruka’s gaze drifted away slowly.  “Sure…”  It was despondent and heartbreaking, but it was still a step forward.  “I just can’t wait till I’m eighteen and can get the fuck out of here….”

Michiru paused.  There was always a tug at her heart every time Haruka made that comment.

“Yeah…” the aquanette spoke, sounding just as despondent as her friend had been.  “Only a few more years…”

Silence enveloped them as Michiru lifted herself out of her friends arms, struggling to think of something to say.  She rose to her feet and glanced back at her English assignment before deciding it wasn’t going to get done tonight.  She glanced back at the clock.  No more than fifteen minutes had passed.  But no matter where she looked, something in the air of her room just seemed so _stuffy_.  And looking at her friend who was now slouched forward with a gaze focused on nothing in particular, she decided they just needed to get out.

“Haruka!  I just had an idea!”  Michiru cheered as she hopped in place with a clap before leaning toward her friend to be eye level as her voice took a sing-song quality.  “How-about-we have-a race!”

Haruka paused, examining the bright look on her friend’s face and trying to match it to what was actually said.  Eventually, Haruka’s face began to contort with amusement before she flopped back onto the bed with laughter.

“Seriously Michiru!”  The blonde exclaimed through her giggles as she leaned up from the bed.  “You couldn’t outrun a garden snail!  Ha!”

Michiru straightened to her full height as she crossed her arms in front of her chest.  “I thought you would be thrilled to show off your athleticism, however if your simply all talk, we can remain in here and I can tell everyone that you were too scared to race me.”

“Oh, now it’s on!!!”  Haruka exclaimed rising to her feet and beginning to stretch.  “Where to?”

Michiru began to head out her bedroom door, but not before sending a seductive smirk over her shoulder to her friend.  “Where else would we end our race than where it all began.”

“Alright!”  The blonde cheered before taking out her wristwatch and taking on a more serious tone.  “I’ll even give you a thirty second head start, so don’t squander your time.”

The aquanette rolled her eyes as she continued to saunter out her room and down the stairs and watching the pace at which Michiru left, Haruka was certain her warning fell on deaf ears.  Sure, the blonde knew that she’d win the race even with the thirty second head start, but with the way that violinist casually sauntered out of the room before padding down the stairs, the tall woman was certain that it would take her lethargic friend the full thirty seconds just to leave the house!

The impatient runner checked her wristwatch and started to count the seconds while shifting from one foot to the other.  Perhaps she should give Michiru more time.  Where they were going was decently far from the violinist’s house, so it would only be fair, right?

The thirty seconds ticked by.  Then the thirty-first second.  Haruka continued to shift in her spot as she drew upon every fiber of her being to try to be merciful to her dearest friend.  That thought did stall her for a moment, but just one moment.

Forty-two seconds.  Time was long past up.  Haruka pivoted towards the window, flung it open and vaulted over the sill to land in a crouch on her friend’s front lawn before launching into a sprint down the sidewalk.  Houses blurring in her vision as she continued to push herself further forward faster.

The blonde looked ahead as she pushed long golden locks to streak behind her head and into the wind.  Seriously, long hair was such a nuisance.

Haruka snapped her face back forward in search of her friend.  She had to admit, she was impressed that she didn’t see any sign of the aquanette up ahead, which probably meant that she reached the first turn-off.  Of course, perhaps Michiru didn’t leave her house at all and simply set this race up just to get rid of the obnoxious athlete.  The blonde wouldn’t have put that past her.

Regardless of which was true, Haruka knew she’d get her answer once she passed the next two houses.

The runner reached the corner as she skidded on the sidewalk with the heels of her shoes protesting the action.  The athlete ignored their cries as she pushed forward, regaining her previous momentum.  She focused on the path in front of her, but the sight caused her to lower her head again as she snickered.  Perhaps Michiru didn’t squander as much time as she’d previously thought.  It still wasn’t going to help the innovative violinist.  Haruka would stake her life on it.

With a new surge of adrenaline kicking in, the blonde increased her pace to try to catch up to the teal waves of Michiru’s hair that rippled through the wind.  She was still quite a bit behind the aquanette, but the runner knew that she would overtake the violinist easily with their difference in pace.

Haruka focused on her breathing as her feet continued to carry her forward.  No matter how many times she’s been down this street, she couldn’t tell you any of it in any kind of detail.  Everything was a blur to her with as fast as she was going.  The only thing worth her attention was the pretentious violinist who had the nerve to cheat at a race she suggested.

Blonde streaks began to tease at the edges of Michiru’s vision who turned to see the cocky smile of her closest friend. The blonde pivoted to backpedal so that she could give the aquanette her full attention.

“Geez Michiru, I know everyone’s scared to race me, but I didn’t think you’d be _that_ scared!”

The violinist simply rolled her eyes as she continued to pedal her bike forward.  “And here, I thought you would’ve caught up to me about four blocks ago.  Don’t you know it’s rude to keep a lady waiting?”

“Uh, no!”  The blonde retorted with a hearty laugh.  “Maybe you can tell me about it after I beat your ass to the finish line!”

And with that, Haruka turned back around and increased her pace to leave the aquanette in the dust.  A small smile graced the violinist’s face.  Michiru knew that, even on a bike _and_  the head start the racer gave her, she wouldn’t win.  But that wasn’t the purpose of doing this.

The purpose was to see that smile, to hear that laugh, to see the sheer joy that overtook Haruka’s face when she runs without restraint.  She never dared to run at full speed when on the track team, purposefully holding back for fear that people would gossip about her superhuman speed, increasing the likelihood her mom would find out she’d snuck into the track team.  Michiru knew that Haruka had forged her mother’s signature on the consent waiver to let her do track.  She’d just hoped that her friend wouldn’t have been found out so soon.

She watched as the blonde dramatically skidded on the sidewalk to make another sharp turn down the street to the East as she pushed forward as relentlessly as earlier.  At this point, Michiru still had another four blocks to catch up.  There was no way the violinist could turn this one around.  But to watch Haruka run, one would believe she was born running her entire life, or that the wind actually carried her forward.  Still, Michiru couldn’t help but be in awe.

She finally made it to the turn which opened their neighborhood to the expansive ocean.  The smell of salt was heavy in this area and the aquanette couldn’t help but inhale deeply.  Something about the smell triggered something in her, but she couldn’t pin down what.  It was like the smell was familiar to something familiar to her.  Or perhaps someone else had shared a memory with her about a trip to the sea that felt so real she imagined it as her own, but the nostalgia was too diluted to pinpoint with certainty.

She continued to pedal her bike past the last residential house that welcomed a small park to one side of the street, while the other revealed a bench that was built facing the ocean.  The aquanette veered off towards the park bench where she found Haruka sprawled across it, breathing heavily, with her hair and clothes matted in sweat.  The blonde peered at her friend through lidded eyes as a smile cracked her face at the arrival of her friend.

“Bout… time…”  The exhausted athlete managed to breath out.  “Had me… waiting…”  raising her wristwatch to her face she finally wheezed, “six minutes…”

Michiru simply rolled her eyes as she dismounted her bike.  “I am sincerely sorry.  Shall I now commence with my speech on how impolite it is to keep a lady waiting, and how this tardiness reflects so poorly on my character?”

The blonde gave a sound that was a mix of laughter and gasping for breath before rising off the bench to sit upright.  “Nah…”  It was all that Haruka could offer as an answer before giving her friend a smile and patting the spot next to her on the bench.

A smile gleaned Michiru’s face as she leaned her bike against the railing in front of the bench and sat next to her friend, the two locking eyes for a moment before looking back at the scene in front of them.

This is where the sky meets the sea.

At least, that’s how they liked to describe the place.  They were well aware that there were other places that could produce a similar scene, but it just wouldn’t be the same.  Not for them.

They were drawn to this place long ago and, consequently, this place drew them to each other.

This was where they would tell you their story truly began.

They had known each other since they were four, Haruka’s mother being adamant that she learn to play the piano and Michiru’s mother being an internationally renowned musician turned music teacher made the meeting between the two young women imminent.  However, they never really talked to each other.  When the enthusiastic young aquanette tried to introduce herself to the other student, the blonde simply ignored her.  Haruka took to piano slowly and always flinched whenever the simplest mistake was made, ending the song immediately as she begged the teacher not to hurt her for the slight.  Both the aquanette and her mother tried to console the blonde in these moments, but she would always ignore their words and bury her head as she sobbed.

Then, one day, she didn’t come to her piano lesson.

Michiru was terrified.  There was something about the blonde that seemed so uncertain.  As if her life was constantly teetering on the brink.  The musical parent told her daughter that it was probably nothing serious when Haruka’s mother came to the door asking if the young blonde was there.  She was told that Haruka hadn't arrived for her lesson, causing the stately woman to respond by simply by thanking the musician for her time and leaving immediately, seeming none too concerned about the situation.

Whatever concern Haruka’s mother lacked, Michiru seemed to make up for ten-fold.  She panicked, tugging at her mother’s long dress that they had to find Haruka.  That she may be in danger.  That they had to save her.

Her mother knelt down to soothe her daughter and let her know that everything was going to be alright, but the small girl refused to believe it.  If her mother wouldn’t go help Haruka then _she_ would.  She ran out the front door, cutting through backyards to try to lose her mother in the chase.  She had to find Haruka, she just had to!

Of course, she didn’t know where to look.

The four-your-old trudged on for what felt like forever.  How far could Haruka have gone?  She felt tears begin to prick at the edges of her eyes that she wiped away quickly.  She couldn’t give up just yet!  But where to look?

She shut her eyes and focused.  Her mind instantly going to a picture of the sea.  She could smell it, and was pretty sure that she also heard it.

Keeping her eyes closed as she began to walk, letting a trance-like state take over to lead her to where she needed to be.  She wasn’t sure how far she walked or for how long, but that didn’t matter.

She knew something was drawing her somewhere.

When she heard the screech of a gull overhead she opened her eyes.  The first thing she noticed was a small playground and park area to the right side of the road.  She had never seen it before and the temptation to play on it was great, until she heard a sniffle on the other side of the road.

She turned towards the sound, as her sea green eyes widened in shock.  She recognized Haruka’s school uniform, and the long blonde hair stood out against the black paint of the park bench.

The aquanette rushed over to the small figure curled into a ball and scrambled onto the bench.

“Haruka?”

The blonde flailed out of her position as panic set into her eyes.  “What’re you doing here!?  I didn’t do anything!  I’m sorry!!!”

The aquanette moved closer, wanting to ease the pain.  “Haruka…”

“DON’T TOUCH ME!!!”

The blonde pushed Michiru away from her with the small violinist catching one of the gaps in the bench’s backrest before righting herself.  Haruka curled back into a ball and scooted as close to the opposite end of the bench as she could.

“I’m sorry!  I won’t touch you!  I promise!”  The small aquanette ranted with her hands raised to prove her plea.  “I’m sorry Haruka, I-I’m scared for you.”

“No.  Nononononono.”  The frightened blonde recanted as she shook her head.  “You’re mad at me!  And you’ll make mama mad at me!  And then she’ll hurt me for making her mad!”

“I’m not mad Haruka!”  Michiru shouted as tears welled in her eyes.  “And I don’t want you hurt!”

“You’re lying…”  the blonde weakly voiced as her shoulders shuddered with the sobs.  “E-everyone wants to hurt me… mama said so because I can’t be a real girl…”

That put the aquanette on pause for a moment.  She saw herself as a girl, but no one accused her of not being real.  What made the blonde less real?  And what made it impossible for her to become real?  “Why not?”

“I don’t know!”  The blonde shouted not daring to raise her head to look at the small violinist.  “I don’t know if it’s piano, or dolls, or what it is, but I can’t be a real girl!  Mama said so!”

Michiru paused for a moment as the small form of Haruka continued to shudder in turn to her sobs.  “Why does any of that matter?”

“Because people will hurt me!  I don’t wanna hurt anymore!”

“I won’t hurt you Haruka…”

The blonde continued to sob as the aquanette said everything that came to mind when it came to this situation.

“I’m scared for you Haruka…”

The sobs began to quiet as the aquanette continued to assure the blonde of her good intentions.

“I won’t touch you Haruka…”

“Michiru…”

The sea-themed girl nearly fell off the bench.  This was the first time that the blonde had ever mentioned her name.  “Y-yes?”

“Why are you here?”

Tears began to trickle down from sea green orbs as the aquanette began to explain herself.  “I wanted to see you again…”

“Why…?”  The blonde’s voice shook with the threat of more sobs.  “Why look for me if not to hurt me?”

“’Cuz I was scared you wouldn’t come back…”

The tears started to roll down the blonde’s face softly.

“Why should I come back…?”

The aquanette’s tears began to stream down now.  The fear of that Haruka may just disappear seeming imminent.  “Because I want to be your friend!”

Sky blue eyes widened as the sea green dams weighed Michiru’s face down to her hands as she began to bawl.  “I want to be you friend Haruka…  Please… Be my friend… I promise I’ll never hurt you…”

The blonde watched as the violinist continued to break down in front of her.

She didn’t want anyone else to have to hurt.  She thought that she hurt enough for no one else in the world to have to feel it.  That if she took all the pain, there wouldn’t be any pain left in the world to hurt anyone else with.

So why did the small aquanette in front of her seem to be in so much pain?

So Haruka did what, to her, was both absolutely unthinkable, yet the only thing she could think of.

She grabbed one of Michiru’s hands.

The misty sea green looked into the shimmering sky blue as fresh tears began to trickle down Haruka’s face. The blonde's lack of words was replaced with a slight squeeze of the aquanette’s hand.  She wasn’t sure if she could trust this person.  If she could believe everything that the small girl before her was saying.  But she didn’t want to see the girl in pain.  She couldn’t stand seeing others going through so much hurt.

Their gazes met for a moment, making Haruka feel incredibly awkward as she tried to force a timid smile.  Michiru absolutely beamed at the sight and, without thinking, threw her arms around the blonde.  It was the first smile, genuine or no, that she had ever seen cross the blonde's face.

Haruka was absolutely flabbergasted.  Her first instinct was to throw the arms off of her and get away, but the panic began to subside as she felt the young aquanette’s tears seeping into her shirt and the small body snuggling into her own.

The blonde was rigid for only a moment before making her decision.  She slowly lifted her arms to encircle her first and only friend, hands running up and down the girl’s back.  “I’m scared to go back Michiru…”

The aquanette rose out of her position to face Haruka and give her a comforting smile while wiping away the tears.  “Don’t worry!  I’ll protect you!”

Fresh tears sprang back into sky eyes as she held the small violinist tighter.  Both promising to keep the other safe and be the best of friends.

Of course, after that first night, Michiru realized that she couldn’t actually protect Haruka.

She began to understand more and more where Haruka’s bruises came from and understood better her tentative nature.

She was only so grateful for how the bruises were less prevalent when school started, and once Haruka started Middle School they had all but disappeared.

But Michiru still longed to do more to protect her precious friend.  She even talked to Haruka about reporting what had happened to someone.

But Haruka’s mother was a secretary to a law firm.

And an adolescent’s word against that of an esteemed lawyer about their trusted employee wasn’t going to get the time of day.

So Haruka continued to suffer.

And Michiru continued to watch

And as they looked over the scene that heralded the beginning of their friendship, Haruka couldn’t help but feel a mixture of gratitude and shame towards the aquanette.  Gratitude because Michiru truly was the most generous and incredible person who would ever dare to befriend the young, frightened child during such tumultuous trials.

And shame because Michiru threw away opportunity after opportunity just to stay by Haruka’s side.

The blonde noticed this of course.  Michiru had been granted so many chances to play her violin world-wide, but she limited her tours to within the country and multiple elite private schools offered her free tuition, but the aquanette remained at Juban Prefectural High with her friend.

And although the blonde feared that the violinist would eventually find an offer she couldn’t refuse, Haruka felt sick with herself for wanting to so selfishly keep the aquanette with her through this hellish nightmare.  She couldn’t help but think that Michiru simply stuck around for pity, but she always said the right things and helped in the ways no one else could that made the blonde feel so blessed to have her friend in her life.

And right now was no different

“Thanks…”  The taller woman stated with a soft smile crossing her lips.

Michiru turned to give her the reserved yet playful smile that melted everyone’s hearts.  “It’s what I’m here for Haruka.”

“Yeah…” the athlete lightly chuckled before the thought of the aquanette’s heart-melting smile reminded Haruka of something she wanted to ask her friend.  “Hey, you know there’s a dance going on later this week, right?”

The teal waves of Michiru’s hair fluttered in the wind as the aquanette turned to look back at the scene in front of them.  “Of course, I know of the dance.  Why do you ask?”

“Pfft.  To make sure you were using your calendar properly!”  The blonde retorted while rolling her eyes.  “Who are you going with?  I know every boy in the school had to have asked you to go with them!”

“Perhaps…”  Michiru giggled, keeping her gaze focused on the horizon as her mirthful features fell.  “However… the one I’d really want to spend the dance with hasn’t asked me.”

Haruka’s heart started hammering in her chest.  She wasn’t sure where that reaction was coming from, but decided to blame it on her exertion during their race.  “Who is he?!”  The blonde cried while her arms flailed about sporadically.  “Does he go to another high school or… Oh my gosh!  Michiru!!!  Don’t tell me that you’re crushing on a college guy!?!?” 

The aquanette turned her head just to raise her eyebrow at the question to give the blonde an incredulous look.

“An underclassman?”

Michiru scoffed and turned back to the horizon.

“Oh, please tell me Michi!  Please, please, PLEASE!!!”  Haruka begged leaning further forward towards the aquanette.

“Nope!”  the violinist answered while rising from the bench, causing the blonde to fall in the space that her friend had occupied.  The runner groaned as she rubbed her chin when a soothing voice with a playful lilt reached her ears.

“They still haven’t asked me so I’m not going to tell you.  Although…”  The violinist turned to lock her gaze with the runner.  “If they don’t ask me soon, I might just have to drag them to the dance myself.  Don’t they know how improper it is to keep a lady waiting?”  The light-hearted question was ended with a wink to which the blonde simply rolled her eyes.

“Pfft.  Come on Michiru!  All you have to do is walk up to the guy and he’d immediately drool all over you and do whatever you say.  Hell, he might even propose to you on the spot!”

Suddenly the aquanette found her head feeling heavy as she raised her hand to hold it up by the face as she groaned into her palm.  “I swear Haruka, you can be so-”

BOOOOOOM!!!!!!

The sound echoed throughout the area causing the two girls’ ears to begin ringing.

“What the hell was that!”  The blonde shouted, shaking her head to get the ringing out.

Michiru slowly lowered her hands from her ears, hesitant to believe the sound wouldn’t return.  “That was probably just some construction mishap.”  The aquanette replied before raising her head to face the runner.  “That came from the Sankakusu Delta.  I hear that it was part of the Tokyo Bay land reclamation project and they're developing it into a commercial district as efficiently as possible.”

Haruka rose to her feet before facing the direction of the disturbance.  “Let’s go check it out.”

The aquanette was slightly perplexed by the sudden seriousness in her friend.  “I assure you there won’t be anything too intriguing there.”

“Yeah…”  The word seemed to simply fall off Haruka’s breath.  The wind suddenly seemed to pick up in that moment, blowing in the direction of the disturbance as the violinist noted the tide waning from the beach, as if retreating from the formidable figure.  She turned back to the determined blonde.

This was so unlike Haruka, and yet so strangely familiar…

“I’ll lead you there.”  The violinist slowly clasped her hand in the blonde’s.  “We can take my bike if you’d like.”

Haruka turned to glance at the aquanette before inspecting the bike.  It figures Michiru would grab the bike that they could both ride together.  She always thought ahead like that.

“Alright.  Lead the way.”

Michiru nodded as she grabbed the bike, letting Haruka mount first so that she could be the one pedaling as the violinist hugged the runner from behind while remaining focused enough to give directions.

It really was faster getting places on a bike.  At least, it was faster with Haruka doing the legwork.

The crunching sound of gravel under large machinery gradually became louder and louder until it was downright deafening, leaving the two wondering how they didn’t hear any of the other nuances in the booming business of construction.

“We should be nearing the center of the delta now!”  The aquanette shouted above the roaring mechanical appendages.

Michiru simply felt the blonde nod as she continued to bike through the tall buildings until they finally got to the tallest structure in the district with an ominous woman watching over the mechanical workers constructing the massive building.

The two girls stopped a little before reaching the site to dismount and crept slowly towards the woman.  The blonde couldn’t help but feel like something was off about the woman.

As if sensing the ill thought of her, the red-head turned to face the two newcomers as a devious smirk scratched at her face.

“Ah, Kaiô-san.  A pleasure to meet you this fine evening.”

“Oh!  Kaori-sensei!  I apologize for intruding!”  The aquanette quickly stepped forward to bow towards the mysterious woman.  “My friend and I were simply out for a stroll when we heard a loud noise and became curious as to how the construction of the delta was going.”

“Ah, well, as you can see…”  The red-head turned to raise long manicured nails towards the height of the newest building.  “Our Mugen Academy is coming along splendidly!  In fact, it should be complete by the end of this month!”  The dark-dressed woman turned back to give her new arrival her full attention.  “Speaking of which, have you considered our offer?  With someone of your talents we could not only offer you free tuition, but also grant you access to our sponsors who can take your skills as a violinist to an international level.”

Michiru stepped back and turned to glance at Haruka.  “Does that offer extend to my friend here as well?”

“Michi!”

“Oh, I apologize!  I didn’t see you there!”  The exasperated red-head cried as the blonde cautiously stepped forward.  “And you are?”

“Ten’ô.”  The blonde stated in a flat tone.  “Ten’ô Haruka.”

“Ah, Ten’ô-san, my name is Kaori.  A pleasure, I’m sure.”

The red-head extended her hand which the blonde tentatively took.  Her hand was cold, and something sinister felt like it could snake its way through Kaori up Haruka’s arm.

“Y-yeah…”  the blonde responded upon retrieving and inspecting her hand.

“I hear that you were on the Prefectural Juban High track team before you resigned.”  Kaori looked down at Haruka with cold eyes.

The blonde grabbed one of her elbows at the statement as her gaze fell to the floor.  “Something like that…”

“Well,” the future schoolmaster stated while dissecting the girls in front of her to help calculate the appropriate words.  “Kaiô-san is a bit of a special case with her phenomenal music, however, if you happen to have a special skill that we can help you foster we would be more than happy to extend the same offer to you.”

The blonde suppressed a shiver.  Something was incredibly unsettling about the woman.  “I… appreciate the offer… though I doubt you’ll find me worth your while.”

The red-head simply scoffed at the statement.  “I see.”

The aquanette watched as her friend’s posture continued to deflate under the schoolmaster’s scrutiny and decided that she needed to step in.  “I apologize Sensei, but it is getting late and our parents are surely-”

“Oh!  My, of course!”  The red-head cried as she was redirected to the conversation.  “I apologize for stalling you.  Please get home safely and wish your father well for me.”

“Of course…”  The words simply hung from the violinist’s lips as she and Haruka began to walk away from the delta.  The blonde couldn’t help but feel unnerved by the entire situation.  She swore she could still feel the ice-cold gaze of the headmistress piercing through her as they walked away.

Once they got far enough that Haruka felt it was safe to breathe, she turned to the aquanette.  “Well, she was certainly interested in you.”

Michiru rolled her eyes, avoiding the blonde’s gaze.  “She’s practically been living on my doorstep, trying to convince Papa to send me to her school.”

“What’s that got to do with me.”

Michiru turned towards the sound of the blonde’s voice, but the runner refused to meet her gaze causing sea-green eyes to cast down.  “I’m sorry, I-”

“You _what_ Michi!”  The blonde snapped, causing the violinist to visibly flinch, which made the athlete immediately regret her temper.  She took a deep breath before trying again.  “Sorry… I just… you don’t have to go out of your way for me like that…”

“Haruka…”  The aquanette turned towards the blonde as she tentatively tried to reason with her friend.  “It’s not like that, I… I just…”

“Hey…”  The blonde interjected, stepping ahead of Michiru and placing her hands on the shorter woman’s shoulders to garner her full attention.  “I’ll be fine.  I appreciate it, but… I’ll be fine…”

It wasn’t enough though.  Michiru had known the blonde for too long to fall for her brave face.  “Haruka-”

“I need to get home.”  The runner stated, cutting the aquanette’s thoughts short.  Slowly the slender arms of the jogger wrapped around the violinist’s shoulders to pull the ocean to her chest.  “You get home safe, okay?”

The aquanette returned the embrace as she buried her head into her best friend’s lean body.  “Okay.”

The blonde broke the embrace and began to jog towards her home before turning around to give Michiru a final wave goodbye.

The lone woman simply raised her arm half-way to gesture her own farewell, but felt the sentiment falter.  She looked back towards the impending private school and shuddered.  Something about that place felt so unnatural to her, so twisted.

But she also believed that, whether she wanted it or not, destiny would drag her to that place in one way or another.

She just hoped beyond all hope she wouldn’t have to face that destiny alone.


	2. A Shift in the Wind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I'm sorry it took so long to update this fic. A word of advice, never work on three different multi-chapter fanfics at once, you'll never get them done in a reasonable amount of time. Anyways, thank you to everyone who kudosed and I appreciate the bookmark tremendously. Please feel free to drop a comment, review or kudos.

The days continued to drag on for what seemed like ages.

If only time ran as fast as Haruka could.

As fast as she would run right out of this town.

Michiru noticed the depressive spiral starting.  Sure, Haruka seemed to be in decent spirits when she’d gone home after talking to the aquanette that day, but that was before news of her “leaving” the track team had really hit the school.  The runner was constantly bombarded with questions, criticisms, concerns and she just wanted everyone to _shut up_ about it all!  Honestly, anyone who bothered to look before running their mouth would notice how being forcibly cut from the team was physically stabbing into Haruka's heart and eating away at her until she would simply cease to exist.

Michiru had to think of something to help Haruka.

Of course, her idea may have not been the best kind of "something" to help the depressive athlete.

“S-so…”  Yes, this was definitely a bad idea the violinist thought to herself as she cleared her throat to try again. hoping not to stumble over her words.  “So, ah, have you… found… anyone? To take to the dance that is.”

“No.”

The word dropped like a weight that made Michiru feel like it should have been followed with a crash when it finally hit the floor.  The aquanette tried to compose herself for what she wanted to say next.  “Well, I- I mean, we could-”

“Forget about it Michi.”  The blonde despondently ordered before turning as far away as the school steps allowed.  “I’m not going to the dance.”

“What?!”  Michiru rushed from her place beside her friend, moving in front of the athlete to plead with her.  “But Haruka!  You  _have_ to go to the dance!”

The blonde blew the bangs out of her face before turning a hardened stare towards the violinist to speak in a tone that threatened to be a snarl.  “And why do I  _have_ to go to this dance?”

MIchiru stood up straight as she smiled down at her friend.  “Because I’ve decided you’re the one I’m going to the dance with!”

“What!?”  Haruka shrieked, immediately covering her mouth and looking around to make sure no one heard her before turning her attention back to her friend.  “Seriously, Michi!  You can’t just decide something like that without me!”

“Well, I did inform you of my decision just now, didn’t I?”  The aquanette responded in a cheeky tone.  “Also, you didn’t say that you _wouldn’t_ go with me to the dance.”

“I-”  Haruka had to pause as she felt heat rise to her face that she wrote off as embarrassment of this situation.  She shook her head before trying to turn her body as far away from her friend without leaving her seat on the school steps.  “Look, forget about me Michiru!  Just find a guy and ask him instead.  I know plenty of them have asked you.”

“I told you Haruka,” the tone of the aquanette’s voice dropped as she began her explanation with a sigh.  “I’m not interested in anyone who asked me to go with them.  I don’t want to waste the night being shown off as the date of some immature brat who only cares about my name.  I’d rather spend the night with someone I actually care about.”

Haruka muttered out a response that was too low for Michiru to hear as she knelt to be more eye level to the blonde before turning her gaze away.  “Look… Haruka… I’m sorry.  You’re right that it’s not appropriate of me to make decisions for you, but…”  The aquanette paused to turn her pleading eyes towards the back of the athlete’s head.  “But I would be incredibly honored if you’d join me for the dance.  But if you’d rather not then…”

The violinist dropped her gaze as her hands fell to her lap.  “Then I might just not go as well…”

Haruka snapped her head back to the aquanette, the shock written all over her face.  Michiru loved dances.  Though, sure, this was simply a school dance, but the artist always found a way to recreate the world around her into something more fantastical.  A normal school dance transformed into a ball, a regular bad day as a moment of heroism in the face of despair.

Hell, she’d probably even find a way to make a knight in shining armor out of the beaten and despondent ex-athlete.

“I should go… I have a recital coming up and-”

“WAIT!!!”

Haruka grabbed the aquanette’s wrist as the latter got up to leave, only to turn back to find the blonde’s gaze.  The two paused for a moment, simply content to let blue and green orbs melt into the other’s mind as the athlete’s hand gently fell from the violinist’s.

“Michi, I-”  Haruka’s gaze fell as the hand that held Michiru’s wrist moved to scratch the back of her head.  “Look, Michiru, I’m flattered, really… but you don’t need to miss the dance on my account.  You should go.  I know you’ll enjoy it.”

“It would be far more enjoyable if you were there with me.”

Their gazes locked again for a moment as a tense silence fell between them before sky eyes fell to the ground.  “I-…”

The aquanette turned back around, hopeful of what the blonde would say next, however another moment passed in silence and the violinist was beginning to grow concerned.  “What’s wrong Haruka?”

The blonde's shoulders visibly tensed before slowly turning her gaze back the violinist.  “I don’t have anything to wear for the dance.”

The fantastical artist knelt before the blonde and took her hands in her own before locking gazes with her and giving her a small, comforting smile.

“I can fix that.”

* * *

 

So now Haruka found herself in the girl’s locker room, forcing Michiru to wait outside.  It wasn’t so much that the blonde was uncomfortable dressing in front of her friend, but the athlete couldn’t help but want to more-or-less surprise the aquanette with her choice of dress.

Sure, the violinist was there to shop with the blonde and had paid for the blonde’s choice of attire.  She even offered to buy Haruka a suit if she would prefer that over a dress, but the blonde decided to decline for fear that the news would surely get to her mother.  Michiru hated the reasoning, but also wouldn’t force a decision on her friend if she felt that avoiding a confrontation would be best.

So Haruka borrowed her friend’s credit card and made her purchase while Michiru tried to focus her attention on anything but what the athlete would be wearing to the dance.  She had seen some of the dresses that the blonde chose to try on but vowed to not learn what she ultimately selected until they made their way to the dance together.

The blonde was certain that forcing this whole strange runaround was probably really stupid, but she couldn’t help but feel like that’s how everyone else at the dance did things, surprising the people they accompanied to these outings with their attire.  She just wanted this to be as perfect as possible since it was Michiru she was with.

Though, if this night were supposed to be perfect then the violinist probably would’ve gone with someone who had their own formal clothing and didn’t need to hide it in her locker because of the worry that it might get ruined at home.

Still, it was all Haruka could think of to make the night seem as close to perfect as possible.

The blonde stumbled into the wall as she tried to get her last shoe on.  Heels were by far not her favorite kind of shoe, but they went with the dress, and she wouldn’t ruin the aquanette’s perfect night with miniscule concerns like personal preferences of footwear.

She finally got the final heel on as she stumbled forward towards the sink and looked at herself in the mirror.  The white dress hugged her tall frame as the ruffled skirt went down to just above her knees and the spaghetti straps held the dress up by her shoulders.  She wasn't sure about the dress herself, but she couldn't help but feel like it was something girls her age would enjoy wearing.  She took a deep breath as her reflection locked gazes with her.  She always felt like the reflection in the mirror couldn’t really be her.  She knew she had to be someone different than what she portrayed to the world, but she just couldn’t figure out how she was different.  Or how to get that reflection to match her internalized vision of who she was.

She averted her gaze and straightened her back as she took a deep breath.  She had done enough stalling.

Michiru was waiting for her.

She opened the door that would lead her back into the hallway and turned to see the aquanette, who immediately excused herself from the conversation she was having with some young man to properly greet the tall woman.

“Hello Haruka, you look stunning this evening.”

The bumbling blonde opened her mouth to reply only to babble incoherently before clearing her throat and barely managing a raspy reply.  “You too.”

She really did look stunning as the grumbling student behind the aquanette would surely attest.  The violinist wore one of her elegant performance dresses, the skirt reaching down to her ankles that were strapped in sea colored heels to match her dress.  The dress had no sleeves, leaving the musician’s shoulder’s bare, though she had a shawl she wore across her back that decorated her upper arms.  Even the small handbag she carried matched her attire.

The aquanette giggled as she watched her friend’s face grow slightly redder from the exertions of providing so small a compliment.  “Would you like me to go fetch you some water?”

“No-” the blonde coughed a little more before fully clearing her throat and fighting down the heat that rose to her cheeks.  She straightened her posture and took a deep breath, “No, I’m fine… Thank you though.”

A soft smile matched with an equally soft voice graced the runner.  “Of course.”

The blonde let out a sigh of relief and moved to stand next her friend as she offered her arm to the beautiful young woman beside her.  “You ready for this?”

A soft hum came in response as the aquanette took the offered arm and leaned into her friend, hoping it would help ease the nervousness she heard in the athlete’s voice.  “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.  Thank you so much for joining me Haruka.”

The blonde rubbed the back of her head awkwardly as she led her friend to the school’s gymnasium.  “Sure, I mean, anything to make you happy Michi.  Anytime.”

The weight lifted from the blonde’s shoulder as Michiru turned to offer her a warm smile.  “You’re always too kind Ruka.  I’m incredibly lucky to have someone like you in my life.”

“Hey!”  The exclamation by the blonde was coupled with a wry smile and playful poke to the aquanette’s forehead.  “That’s my line and I never gave you permission to use it.”

The violinist giggled softly at the athlete’s playful gesture who had secretly released a sigh of relief before loosing her own chuckles.  They finally approached the double doors to the gym, spurring Haruka to quickly let go of Michiru’s arm to open the door, bowing deeply as the elegant aquanette strode through the doors with stifled giggles.  The blonde quickly rushed in to follow the fantastical violinist only to fall behind her when they ran into the usher.

“Ah, Kaioh-san!  Don’t tell me that you came to the dance alone!”

Sea-green snapped to the mop-headed brunette boy in front of her before she gave a slight bow.  “Oh, hello Takashi-san.  You needn’t worry about me for I came here with Haruka.  I have our tickets right here.”

The boy’s face fell as the news sank into his mind, before taking the tickets rather quickly and returning the stubs.  “Right, anyway, enjoy the dance.”

“Of course, thank you Takashi-san.”  The aquanette bowed slightly before turning back to the awkward blonde expectantly, the fidgety athlete pausing a moment before taking the cue to take her arm again and head toward the dance floor.  There were plenty of other students who were already on the floor, most of them in couples though there were quite a few who chose to come with a group of friends instead.  Altogether though, it made the blonde self-conscious of the fact that she and Michiru were the only same-sex duo.  It just seemed so…

“Come on Ruka!  Let’s get going!”  The enthusiastic violinist pulled the bewildered blonde closer to the flashing lights of the dance floor, missing the light blush that dusted the athlete’s cheeks.  The tugging only ceased once they were as centered as possible on the open gymnasium court, forcing the blonde to resist rolling her eyes.  The athlete could never figure out if the aquanette was aware of her need for the spotlight, or if she simply unconsciously sought it out since her very presence seemed to draw everyone’s attention.  Haruka included.

“You really do look beautiful tonight.”  The athlete soflty murmured.  The aquanette’s eyes widened as she slowly rose her face to meet the blonde’s gaze, a light blush gracing her cheeks before hugging the blonde tighter as they began a slow dance.

“Thank you…”  she barely whispered as she pressed her face further into the blonde’s lean shoulder, secretly relishing how close she was to the athlete.

“Of course… though, I can’t help but feel a little bad for Takashi-san.  He can’t help it that you’re such a heartbreaker.”

Michiru could almost hear the smirk that came along with the soft statement as she rolled her eyes.  “He did say that I couldn’t tell him that I came to the dance alone.  It would have been rude of me to deny such a request.”

A soft snicker reached the aquanette’s ears as they continued to sway to the rhythm of the music.  “Right.  And what if he told you to tell him you did come alone?”

A soft giggle escaped the violinist’s lips before she responded, “Well, I wouldn’t be able to find it in me to lie, despite the request to.  So, I would simply have to apologize that if I were to make such a claim it would fail to be factual.”

Strong arms wrapped tighter around the smaller woman’s shoulders as the blonde pulled her closer to whisper close to her ear.  “You’re such a tease Michiru.”

The aquanette desperately hoped that Haruka missed the extra skip her heart gave and the heat rising to her face.  She buried her face deeper into the strong shoulder to hide her blush before giving a soft hum in answer to her friend’s comment, swaying to the slow beat of the music.  They remained like that, despite the changes in song and the occasional stares from the other students.  Neither wanted to move from their position, half entranced in the feeling of being in each others’ arms, and half scared to answer the question as to why they were so comfortable in that position and why neither bothered to move away in the first place.

After innumerable tensely comfortable moments Michiru slowly shifted out of the blonde’s arms which caused the athlete slight alarm as her face flushed slightly.  “Michi?  What’s wrong?  Everything okay?”

The aquanette shook her sea green locks out of her face before a soft giggle lead her reassuring response.  “Don’t worry Ruka, everything’s perfect.  Thank you so much for bringing me here tonight.”

The startled blonde struggled to keep her blush down as she scrambled for a response.  “Y-yeah.  I mean, anytime.”

The athlete took a deep gulp as she tried to calm her nerves as the graceful violinist slowly slipped out of her arms to take a calloused hand, tugging the bewildered blonde forward and giggling at the athlete’s stumbling behind her.

“Gah, Michi!  What are you doing?”

“Well~” the aquanette practically sang as she pulled the taller woman towards the exit.  “I wanted to do something for you.  And I think I found something that you would really enjoy.”

The blonde had to pause, first Michiru rejected every guy in school just to go to the dance with the helpless athlete and now she was leaving the dance early for her.  Hadn’t Michiru given up enough for her already?

The violinist’s slender hand slipped through the athlete’s as she turned to see the despondent blonde.  “Ruka?”

“Michi, look, we don’t have to leave.  We can go back.  Dance till they kick us out.  I mean, we don’t have to leave on my account.”

The aquanette stood still for a moment, taking in the sky-blue gaze that looked back at her, as if trying to read the notes that would tell her how to best perform the next part in her symphony.  She silently made her way towards the blonde and cupped the taller woman’s face hoping to focus the athlete’s eyes into seeing the determination in her sea-green orbs.

“Haruka.  Yes, I enjoy these social outings, but, more than anything I want to make sure your enjoying tonight.  You do so much for me, taking me here and all.  I just want to do something to show my appreciation.”  The aquanette kept her gaze locked on Haruka’s as her voice turned pleading.  “Please, Ruka?  I promise you’ll like it.”

The blonde sighed deeply as she took the hand that cupped her cheek, relishing the touch, but feeling so conflicted.  Was this really what Michiru wanted, or what she simply believed Haruka would wanted?  And was it really right for Haruka to take advantage of Michiru’s kindness?

“Ok… if it means that much to you.”  The blonde relented, lowering the violinist’s hand to her side.  “Lead the way.”

The aquanette glowed as she let an over-enthusiastic smile flash across her face while she began to tug the tall athlete down the halls and out the door.  “Thank you!  I promise you’ll enjoy it!”

The tall athlete couldn’t help but chuckle under her breath at the young musician’s exuberance.  She failed to count the number of blocks they walked away from the school as she couldn’t help but wonder what wondrous surprise would cause the jovial violinist to skip down the street in such high spirits.  Eventually, the thoughts stopped as the aquanette turned to face the blonde fully.  “We’re here.”

The confused blonde looked to the building that was behind her dearest friend.  “Go kart racing?”

The aquanette giggled lightly at the blonde’s bewilderment.  “I just thought that since you’re the fastest on foot, we might as well see if you can also be the fastest on wheels.”

The anxious athlete stood, still staring at the building, with the same smile that the aquanette only saw on the blonde when she was getting ready for a race.  And just that expression allowed the violinist to know that she picked the perfect place for Haruka.

“Come on now, we will have to get back to the school before the dance ends and get our stuff from my locker.”

The blonde laughed at the voice before running to catch up with the retreating aquanette.  “So, this is why you cut our dance date to only a half hour.”

They entered the building as the aquanette rolled her eyes to the sliding doors.  “It only seemed fair to plan something for you since I know you’re not as entertained by dances as I am.  So, this is my thanks.”

The aquanette walked ahead to one of the workers, quickly flashed her ID and discussed in soft whispers to one of the ushers who lead the two towards the track.

“You know, Michi, you don’t have to do all this for me.”

The violinist turned her head to look back at the blonde before turning back away and offering a humming sound in return.  “I don’t mind.  There’s nothing more I really want then for you to be happy.”

The blonde turned to find that heart-melting smile that Michiru always wore when she was at her most earnest.  The same smile that always caused Haruka’s heart to skip a beat as she lost her breath for a moment.

“Anyways,” the mellifluous voice rang through the blonde’s thoughts.  “They said that you could race for an hour, then we need to get back quickly before they close the school.”

“Holy shit!  Seriously Michiru?!”  The flabbergasted athlete loudly exclaimed.   “How much money did you spend?!  And… wait… _I_ could race for an hour?!  As in you’re not joining me?”

A light giggle came as the aquanette shook her head with rippling tresses swaying to the sides.  “No, Ruka.  We both know that speed is not my forte.  And besides, the money is inconsequential.  What matters is that you enjoy your evening.”

“Yeah, but…”  The blonde hesitated, hating to admit how pathetic she felt in moments like these.  “You paid for everything else tonight.  Including my dress.”

The aquanette sighed deeply before voicing her answer to allay her friend’s concern.  “I make a fair amount of money with my performances Haruka.  And since you accompany me to nearly every performance I have it is more than fair that I share some of my earnings with you.”

“I mean, I guess… but still.  Don’t you wanna race with me?”

The question was followed by a slight pout that the musician couldn’t help but giggle at with how out of place it appeared on the athlete’s face.  “Ah, I appreciate the offer, however I can’t help but feel that I would simply get in your way.  Besides…”  The violinist turned back towards the course ahead of them before smirking at the tall blonde.  “Wouldn’t you like to see how fast you could go on an empty track with no obstacles to hold you back?”

The athlete hummed in thought for a second before a sly smirk crossed her face.  “Did you buy out the entire place for the hour?”

“I shall neither confirm nor deny such a claim.”  The aquanette huffed as she crossed her arms in front of her.  “If so, however then you should get going lest you spend that hour questioning my financial decisions.”

“Alright, I’m going.”  The playful blonde chuckled heading towards the track before turning back around.  “Thanks again Michiru.  It means a lot.”

The young woman in response flashed a brilliant smile towards her dearest friend.  “Anything for you Haruka.  I’m always happy to be of assistance.”

And with a smile and a wave the blonde charged toward the track to get situated in one of the go-karts, stepping in awkwardly as she tried to figure out how to fit her skirt in such a miniscule space.  Dresses obviously were not her outfit of choice, the aquanette noted as she silently berated herself for not allowing the athlete to change back into more casual clothing.  Haruka seemed to manage however, seated more-or-less comfortably in the tiny vehicle as the worker made sure she was securely strapped in.  After going through the safety routine the worker moved back to the control panel to mechanically recite the safety rules, regulations, maybe even a complaint or two about their job.  The violinist knew that the blonde could care less as she anxiously awaited the red light.  Then the yellow.

Then the green.

And she was off.

One would only be able to tell that it was her first time driving if they had been there right at the beginning, with the athlete struggling to keep straight while trying to maximize speed.  But after the second turn the blonde streamed through the track relentlessly, as if she could instinctively tell what she needed to do in order to push the machine to it’s fastest.  As if the vehicle somehow managed to share Haruka’s dream to run as far and fast as possible from this world, and together they managed to excel beyond the limits of the reality they were confined to.  The athlete becoming nothing more than a blonde blur on an empty track.

And Michiru couldn’t help but laugh at the sounds of Haruka’s cheers as she continued to cruise past the finish line at impossible speeds.

She had never heard Haruka so genuinely ecstatic about anything before.

But after a few minutes something seemed off.  The blonde streak started to get mixed into something dark that seemed to be choked out from in front of the athlete while frantic shouts were heard by the control panel.

Then the blonde blur puttered to a complete halt.

“Hey!  What are you doing?!  I was driving there?!”

Haruka practically threw herself out of the vehicle as she looked for someone to turn her rage on when one of the workers arrived on the track.

“What?!  Are you crazy?!  These karts aren’t supposed to go that fast?!  You could’ve fried the engine with your little stunt!”

“Then get a better engine!”  The blonde shouted with arms flailing.  “I still have more time to ride!”

“Ruka!  Please!”

The blonde turned to see the aquanette running towards her as she prepared to continue her shouting match.  “Michi!  Tell this guy he can’t just end my run like that!”

“I am so sorry about this sir.”  The violinist rushed in the apology before turning to the hot-headed blonde.  “Ruka, let’s just leave.  Please…”

“Fuck that Michiru!”  The blonde shouted as she tried to advance towards the employee.  “He can't just end my ride, not after what you must've paid for it!”

“Haruka!”  The aquanette shouted as she stood to block the path of the powerful blonde.

“Michi!  Get-”

BANG

The phrase was never finished.  Haruka pushed the violinist away which caused her to stumble over and hit her head against the side railing causing immediate regret to wash over the blonde’s face.

“Michi!”

The blonde rushed to her friend who was slowly getting up and rubbing the back of her head.

“Michi!  Oh my gosh!  I’m so sorry!  I didn’t mean-  I mean-  Michi please-”

“It’s ok Ruka.”  The soft voice accompanied by an equally soft smile that the blonde was certain was meant to be reassuring.  “It was an accident.”

“No!  Michi!  I shouldn’t have- I’m so-”

“Shhhhh.”  The aquanette soothed as she placed a finger on the athlete’s chapped lips.  “I’m fine Ruka.  Just a minor bump, it will probably be gone in a day or two.  No need to worry.”

The blonde looked like she was fighting back tears as she continued to gaze into the sea-green orbs of Michiru’s soul, not daring to make a sound lest it encourage the aquanette to take back her kind words and reject the blonde instead.

The violinist sighed as she struggled to get up, causing the blonde to rush to her aid and ensure her friend could get upright.  “Come on Haruka.  Let’s head back to the school.”

“Y-yeah.”  The word stumbled out as the blonde scrambled to get her thoughts together.  “Okay.”

The aquanette began to step forward, only turning back to ensure that her friend was following though the despondent athlete was clearly too distracted to pay attention to the violinist’s cue to move forward.  Michiru sighed before returning to the blonde’s side and grabbing her hand.  “Haruka… I’m fine.”

But the blonde failed to respond.  Gaze locked to the ground as she replayed the last few moments that occurred.  How could she just lash out like that?  What was wrong-

“Haruka…”  The soft pleading voice cut through as a gentle hand cupped the athlete’s face to turn her gaze to deep sea eyes.  “Don’t worry yourself over this Haruka.  It was an accident.  Please, just let this go.  For me?”

The last line seemed to get the blonde for a second.  There was nothing the young athlete wouldn’t do for the generous musician, and they both knew it.  Calloused hands wrapped gently around slender fingers as Haruka pulled the violinist’s hand away so she could freely drop her gaze.  “I really am sorry Michiru.”

A soft smile graced the musician’s features as she gave a gentle squeeze to the strong fingers that enveloped hers.  “I know.  I have already forgiven you Haruka.  So, it’s all fine.  Okay?”

The blonde loosed a deep sigh before finding the soft gaze she had become so familiar with.  “Yeah… Thank you.”

The aquanette nodded as she hummed in approval before lightly tugging the athlete’s hand.  “Come on.  We haven’t got all evening now, do we?”

“Yeah.”  The word dropped, nowhere near as playful as the musician’s mellifluous claim, but still with the rising hope of enthusiasm somewhere hidden within.  They walked past the front counter where Michiru bowed her gratitude to the worker there before briskly leaving through the front doors.

“It would appear you do have a special skill we could help you foster after all.”

Two heads snapped towards the familiar voice that was waiting for them beyond the building’s doors before Michiru recognized the older woman.

“Ah, Kaori-sensei?  What brings you here this evening.”

“I was simply out for a stroll when I was walking by.  This place is usually rather busy on a Friday night. I will admit, my curiosity got the better of me when I noticed that the go kart track was empty so I decided to see what was the case.”  She turned her gaze on Haruka who tried hard to fight off the gnawing unease that seemed to paralyze her.  The red-head stepped forward, holding out a card for the frigid blonde.  “It’s been some time since Japan produced a race car driver of grand caliber, but I believe you might be able to bring this country back to prominence on the race track.”

The blonde’s breath caught as she struggled to move for a moment, eyes flickering between the woman’s cold gaze and the business card she held out for the athlete.  Hesitantly, the runner managed to reach out, lightly gripping the card as the elder woman quickly retreated her hand.

The blonde shook her head out of her reverie as she brought the card to her side.  “Thank you…”  The athlete said as she bowed slightly.

“Of course.”  The woman stated in her cold voice that made her smirk seem rather suspicious.  “I hope to hear from the both of you soon.  Have a good evening and get home safely.”

The aquanette stepped forward and bowed to the school administrator.  “Thank you, Kaori-sensei.  You have a good evening as well.”

The older woman returned the bow before turning to walk into the darkness that would lead to the institution she ran.  Once she was out of sight the aquanette turned to the athlete who was now examining the card intently.

“You should call them Haruka.”  The violinist’s soft voice recommended.  “We could both enroll in their academy.  Still be together.  And, maybe if they really can help us excel in pursuits that would make us self-sufficient we could…”

The statement died off.  Could what?  Buy a place of their own and live happily ever after?  Yes, Haruka could possibly move out and finally be happy, but was Michiru worthy to be a part of that happiness?

“Forget it Michi.”  The voice harsh with a pain that was so common in the blonde.  “Mom flipped shit when she found out I was on the track team.”  The card flew from her grip as she tossed it to the ground and started walking away.  “Imagine what she’d do if she found out I ran off to be some glorified car driver.”

Something in the aquanette’s heart seemed to drop as the card hit the ground and she watched the blonde walk away.  “Ruka?”

The blonde stopped with her gaze dropping to the floor.  “Michi… I’m sorry.”  She turned around and tried to offer her friend a reassuring smile, but both of them could tell it was wavering.

“I’d better head home Michi, but you should get to the last of the dance.  I know you’ll enjoy it.”

The aquanette’s eyes widened in disbelief at what the blonde was suggesting.  “But, Ruka!  Your uniform is in my locker!  If we don’t get it now the school won’t be open until Monday morning!”

“I can always get to school early and grab it.  It’s not like I don’t know your locker combination Michi.”  The blonde replied with a sly grin.  “Besides, I’m really tired, it’d be better if I just head home.”

“But what about…”  The words died on the aquanette’s lips as she gazed at the white dress her friend wore before meeting sky blue eyes.

The blonde responded with a shrug.   “Not much she can do about it now.  Dance is over.  Besides, it’s not like it’s the first time I’d snuck into my room to hide something from her.  I’ve gotten really good at climbing to my bedroom window, you know?”

The comment was followed by an uneasy laugh that the aquanette didn’t have the heart to share.

How could one spend their life in this way?

“Michi…”

The violinist broke out of her reverie to notice that the tall blonde was now in front of her as strong arms pulled into her into a hug that she eagerly returned.  “Don’t worry Michi, it’ll be fine.  Thank you so much for bringing me out here tonight.”

A soft voice rang as the aquanette leaned into her friend's tall frame.  “Thank you for accompanying me tonight.  I had fun.”

The grip of the blonde’s arms seemed to loosen as she pulled slightly away to lock her gaze with her friend’s.  “Michi, I am really sorry about what happened earlier on the track.”

“Ruka, it’s okay, I’m not mad or anything… although…”  The sea gaze wandered as the aquanette bit her lip before facing her friend again.  “I am rather confused… What caused you to lash out like that Ruka?”

“I…”  the blonde paused as she slowly pulled herself further away from the violinist.  “I don’t know… I just… it felt like I was finally free for the first time in my life.  Like I had finally found a piece of me that I didn’t realize was missing.  Or like I was finally free to be myself for the first time.  Maybe both.  I don’t know.”

The blonde sighed as the aquanette waited patiently for the rest of the explanation.  “I’m sorry, this probably makes no sense.  I just panicked.  I freaked out ‘cause I wasn’t ready for that feeling of completeness to... end…”  Her voice dropped to little more than a murmur.  “What if I don’t get that feeling again?”

The musician’s trained ears burned at the final question before she strode purposefully towards the runner as she placed a hand the tall blonde’s lean shoulder.  “You should go to Mugen.  They already offered to help you with a racing career if you wish to pursue it.”

“No, Michi, I’ll be fine.  I-I only have three more years and I’ll be free!  I can wait.  I’ll be fine.”

The aquanette’s hand fell to the blonde’s as she gave the appendage a gentle squeeze, as the runner’s argument felt forced and uncertain.  “Ruka?”

“I gotta go before Mom gets suspicious.  Have a good evening Michi.  Be safe.”

“Of course…”  The aquanette murmured as she let the blonde’s hand slip through hers while the runner took of the heels to better jog home.  “You too…”

And then the athlete was gone.  Disappeared somewhere in the night sky.  The aquanette shuffled her feet.  It was a slow and lonely walk back to the school without her friend there.  She barely registered the sounds of other students in the hallways, many asking where she’d been or if she enjoyed herself.  She mechanically made her way to her locker and grabbed Haruka’s backpack.  She’d be sure to give it to her friend over the weekend.

The walk home was less long, but equally lonely.  It was strange how much emptier she felt after spending the evening with the person she felt like completed her.

What if she didn’t get that feeling again?

Her eyes lit up when she saw something small and indistinguishable from the distance on her doorstep.  Curiosity hastening her steps she rushed towards her door, only to take halting steps towards the object when she reached her porch.

In front of the door to her house was a single white rose and underneath it was a torn corner of scrap paper that had “Thank You” written in a messy and illegible scrawl that the aquanette had learned to be Haruka’s penmanship.  She paused to wonder how slow she had been to give the athlete enough time to write the note and find a flower to make a side trip to her house before finally heading home.

She smiled as she lifted the rose to her nose and took in the sweet scent of the flower, taking the note and tucking it away in her handbag.  She kept the rose close to her chest as she opened the door to her house.

“Michiru?  Is that you?”

The violinist kicked off her shoes as she made her way towards the kitchen where the voice came from.  “Yes Father, I just got home.”

She found her father, as expected, at the kitchen table with work spreadsheets scattered across the table and take out in the corner.  “Oh, good.  Did you enjoy the dance?”

The aquanette smiled as she half giggled, half hummed in affirmation.  “It couldn’t have been more perfect.”

“Oh?”  A dark eyebrow raised as the aquanette’s father eyed the rose.  “Dance the night away with the man of your dreams?”

Sea-green eyes followed the earthen brown gaze to the rose as she caressed the carnation and smiled wistfully.  “Something to that affect I suppose…”

The older man cleared his throat before turning his attention back to the spreadsheets in front of him.  “I’m glad you had a good evening dear, though I do wonder at this young man’s manners if he failed to escort you to the dance himself.”

The violinist forced herself to suppress an eyeroll as she responded to her father’s comment.  “It wasn’t planned that way, I assure you.  Things simply occurred differently than what we had prepared for.”

“Hmmm… I see…”  The man drawled as Michiru noticed he was getting more and more involved in his work and less involved in the aquanette’s teen life.  “Well, I shan’t keep you then.  Have a good night dear.”

“Thank you.  You too, father.”  The violinist bowed slightly before heading up the stairs to get to her room.  She dropped Haruka’s backpack beside the door and placed her handbag on top of her desk before collapsing on her bed with the white rose.

She’d find a way to be a part of the obnoxious blonde’s life.  Find a way to ensure her dearest friend that her happiness would never be robbed from her again.

She’d give her life if it meant granting the blonde the chance to live and live happily.

The aquanette yawned as she struggled to get up and get changed while trying to shake an unsettling feeling that gripped her being.

She’d made that promise before.

She didn’t know when or where, just that she did.

And she couldn’t stop the unsettling feeling that the last time she had made that promise she had failed.

She just hoped she wouldn’t fail this time around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that's about all I got for this chapter. I've been going through all my fanfics and editing them so if you find any typos please let me know. I wanna try to produce some decent writing at the very least. Anyways, thanks again for reading and I hope you all enjoyed!


	3. A Rift in the Sea

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I've gotta say that I am so incredibly sorry for how long it's taken for this update to come around. Life kinda blew up, but now that things are settled I swear I will try to update this as often as possible. On a side note, I don't think there are very many installments left for this series (it wasn't meant to be very long.) Anyways, thanks for coming back to see what happens next and I hope you enjoy the latest chapter! Please feel free to comment or kudos!

Time continued to move on.

Not that there would be any way to stop it.  After all, time is nothing more than a device that ebbs and flows to a motion dictated by the sun, just as the ocean’s patterns are dictated by the moon.  Patterns that never hesitate to fulfill their role as they continue on in their repetitious melody that adds to the symphony of the cosmos.  Taking part in a symphony of instruments that humans will never begin to comprehend.

And yet, it’s all she sees.

“Kaiô-san, you’re on in ten.”

Sea green eyes remained fixed on the violin as the musician hummed her acknowledgement to the man at the door.

This, too, was nothing more than another pattern in the cosmos.

Her fingers would lightly brush against the instrument that was an extension of her soul, or perhaps the violin was her entire being, and her human body was simply an extension of the instrument that took her to the places that were so familiar, and yet too distant for any human to have ever experienced.  Her thoughts would drift to these memorable imaginings that would consume her entire existence as she prepared to share some of the world that the violin could show her with the rest of the Earth.

Then she would rise.  The usher would enter to inform her that it was time for her to go onstage, only to find that she was already at the door, polite smile gracing her face that betrayed the sheer joy she felt whenever she was able to perform.

This was always the moment when she felt most complete.

She would enter the stage, shut her eyes, and allow the violin to guide her fingers to the message that needed to be delivered.  Soft, slow movements that felt so submersive that it sometimes felt hard to breathe.  The sounds that seemed to drown the listeners in an endless ocean that a light was long buried in for countless eons.  A light that seemed to simply be devoured by the sheer weight of a planetary destiny.

But then, she would notice _her_.  Even without opening her eyes, she _knew_ exactly where she was.  She could simply _feel_ her.  Another planet in the cosmic pattern, that was too far to touch, but close enough to feel the gravity that made her long to reach out and grab the light that seemed just as buried as her own.

And the violin would grow as she continued to reach out to the light that continued to call on her.  To tease her with its brilliance.  She hoped that the light in her ocean would shine just as bright.  Would compel the other to reach out too.  So that someday, maybe, they would finally be able to reach each other.

That they may finally be able to have their destinies intertwine.

Sea green eyes slowly became revealed as a large, booming applause broke into her galaxy.

The trance had been broken.

She opened her eyes fully, and smiled to the audience as she began to bow, making sure to direct a gaze towards a certain blonde athlete that she knew would be in the back right corner.  The curtains fell as she took a deep sigh and gave her violin a final examination.  She swore, sometimes it felt more like the instrument played her than the other way around.

She let out a soft giggle as she returned to her dressing room.  That thought seemed so ridiculous, but there were many things that she felt were so strong, yet so unreasonable.

Like why being buried in the bottom of the ocean seemed so familiar.

A soft knock interrupted her thoughts as she smiled softly, already knowing who it was at the door.

“It’s open.”

The door creaked softly as the familiar friend crept softly into the room.  “H-Hey, Michi.  H-How did the performance go?”

Green eyes rolled at the question as a smile failed to be suppressed at the blonde’s presence.  “You don’t need to be so nervous Haruka, everyone knows that your allowed to be here.”

“I-I know that.”  The blonde awkwardly stammered as she rubbed the back of her head before moving to hug her elbows.  “It’s just… I mean…”

The thought seemed to die as the athlete continued to further close off from the musician, but not before the analytical gaze put together the long blue skirt and white blouse that was completed with a bow.

“You’re still in your school uniform…”

The blonde visibly stiffened at the statement as she let one of her arms drop.  “Yeah…”

The aquanette turned away as she busied herself with putting her instrument away.  “I suppose the dress you wore at the dance had lost its charm.  You didn’t seem too sold on it anyw-”

“I don’t have the dress anymore…”

The confession echoed throughout the room as the musician willed herself to focus on preparing her violin for the trip home, but she was frozen.  She wanted to say something, argue or console or anything, but that would seem like admitting the reality of the situation.

She just couldn’t will herself to admit that this was the reality she existed in.

The blonde watched closely as she saw how her friend had frozen in place.  Continuing the conversation in an attempt to restart time, “She heard I’d gone to the dance.  That I’d gone with you.”

Soft fingertips slid across the strings of her dreams as she avoided making any kind of eye contact with the light she always seemed to be reaching for.

“She threw away the dress, and…” the blonde stiffened as she leaned forward with a heavy heart.  “She doesn’t want me seeing you anymore Michi…”

A mist rose over sea eyes as the violinist continued to fondle the instrument before her.  Why was _this_ the existence that they both had to carry?  Why couldn’t she just return to that world that enveloped her in her music?  That world that she didn’t understand, but felt so full of hope?

She rose as a soft hand wiped at the tears that threatened to tear down her cheeks and corrupt her stringed soul with the pain that was strictly meant for this world.

“She said I should’ve only gone to the dance with a guy.  She thinks you’re getting in the way of that.  She sai-”

“But you still came to see me…”

Sky blue widened as the blonde looked toward the misty-eyed musician she’d known all her life.  “Of course, Michi.  I mean,” the blonde paused as she tried to offer her most reassuring smile while a lightness bled into her words.  “I wouldn’t miss your performances for the world.”

The aquanette smiled softly before rushing over to the blonde and embracing her friend as tightly as she could.

“Michi-”

“I’m so glad you made it, Ruka.”  The soft voice wafted as the aquanette buried her face in her friend’s shoulder.  “It means everything to me that you always show up to my recitals.”

“Please, it’s not like it’s the first time I ignored her.”  A soft chuckle escaped the blonde as she gently pulled her friend closer.  “Besides, she already took running from me.  No way in hell am I gunna let her take you away too.”

“But what about school?”  The aquanette fretted as she pulled herself out of the embrace.  “I mean, there’s no way she’d be able to keep us from seeing each other there unless-”

“She’s not gunna transfer me Michi.”  The athlete announced sternly.  “There's too many bored adults who are all ready to tell her the gossip on what they've heard I’m doing there, but no one’s gunna find it worth telling their parents when we just hang out like we usually do.”

Soft lips tightened in a thin line as the violinist's slender fingers reached up to cup the athlete’s cheek.  “You’re sure everything’s okay?”

Calloused fingers wrapped around Michiru’s as sky blue eyes sparkled with her tone.  “I’m here with you, aren’t I?”

The aquanette smiled as she knitted her fingers through her friends, not daring to lose sight of the light that was glowing within the athlete’s eyes.

A light that she wanted desperately to believe only shone for her.

The sky eyes flickered towards the intertwined hands as the smile the blonde held began to falter and drift with the hands flowing downward.  “I’m sorry Michi.  I probably shouldn’t have worried you about this, but I just…”  A deep sigh was released as the athlete gave a small shrug.  “I just felt like you should know…”

“You’re fine Ruka…” the soft tone breathed out as the aquanette watched their fingers begin to untwine.  “If you’re sure everything will be fine.”

Sky blue locked to the same scene, watching as their fingers slowly brushed past each other, but not fully ready to relinquish the comfort they provided for each other.  “So long as we don’t bring too much attention to ourselves…” her gaze shifted, rising slowly upward until they came in direct contact with the sea green that always seemed to drown out the fears and doubts that would swell within the athlete.  That simply seemed to draw her in.

Michiru could feel it.  Leaning closer towards her friend she could feel the force that seemed to constantly propel them towards each other as she lost herself in the sky blue of her friend, drawing in closer to the comfort that she found in the athlete.

Drawing closer to the destiny she had always wanted fulfill-

“Whoa!  Are all those gifts from your fans?!”

The aquanette opened her eyes to watch as the blonde rushed over to the table covered in flowers for the majestic musician who simply moved her empty fingers to her just as empty lips.

“Man, you’ve got a lot of fans!  Need any help carrying these to your limo?”

The violinist straightened her posture as she tried desperately to recompose herself. “I-”

“Great!”  The athlete cheered as she grabbed the nearest bouquet of flowers and rushed towards the door with a red face and an awkward smile.  “I’ll just, get these to your limo then, you sit tight!”

The door slammed shut as the aquanette winced, still not moving her eyes from the spot that her friend was standing in just moments ago.

THUNK

Teal hair whipped as sea green eyes scoured the scene, searching for whoever might’ve made that sound in case she needed to run and inform security, however there was no one in sight where the sound came from.

There was simply a mirror.

The aquanette moved forward, both with slight suspicion and incredible intrigue at the small bauble that had suddenly appeared in her dressing room.  It had fallen right next to the table where her ushers had gathered the gifts from her fans.  Did someone intend to give it to her?

She knelt down and picked up the artifact in question.  It was _truly_ beautiful.  It had a golden frame, on one side the frame rose twice into the glass, like waves from the ocean reaching for the sky, and the other side detailed what looked to Michiru like a druid rising from the handle of the frame and reaching up towards the flowers engraved towards the top.  Gentle fingertips glanced across the glass of the mirror as her reflection shone off the surface, a force seeming to propel through the violinist’s fingertips into her being.  She was certain that this wasn’t a random trinket that a fan had meant to give to Michiru.

This was an item that was hers, that fate had chosen to reunite her with.

“Hey Michi, I-”

The violinist looked towards the sound of the voice, finding her life-long friend entering the-

FLASH

The aquanette grasped for her head.  What had just happened?  Where was the dressing room?  And was that-

“Michi!”

She opened her eyes.  Haruka was there, holding her tightly as they stayed close to the floor for a moment.  “You okay, Michi?”

The aquanette blinked furiously a few times before turning her head to meet the athlete’s gaze, ensuring that she was truly back in her dressing room with her friend and not... wherever else she had seen beforehand.  “Haruka, you…”

“I’m here Michi.”  The blonde consoled as she moved to squeeze one of the violinist’s hands.  “Are you alright?”

“Were you…” she paused, looking into the stern eyes of her friend as she tried to recollect what she had seen previously, but dismissing it.

Haruka's mother would never allow her to have her hair that short.

“Never mind.”

“But-”

“It’s probably just exertion.  I’m fine Ruka, really.”

“You sure?”

The aquanette gave a curt nod as she attempted to reach out for the mirror, only for the blonde to quickly grab it and help her to her feet.  “Here,” the athlete fretted as she practically hauled the aquanette towards the nearest chair.  “Just chill and relax, I’ll take care of everything!”

“Ruka, I’m _fine_.”  The violinist assured as she twisted out of the blonde’s death grip.  “It was nothing more than a dizzy spell, it’s nothing you need to worry about.  See?”

The skeptical look the blonde bore told the aquanette that the athlete wasn’t quite certain of the statement, but Michiru’s unwavering gaze seemed to break down the blonde who simply sighed.  “I just worry, you know.”

“And I appreciate that,” the musician stated while offering a soft smile.  “However, I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself.  Also, I _would_ like my hand mirror back, if I may?”

“Huh?”  The blonde looked down at her hand to see the object in question before becoming moreover flustered.  “Oh, of course!  Sorry about that.”

“You’re fine.”  The aquanette informed as she gently retrieved the bauble from her friend’s grasp, causing the blonde to eye it uncertainly.  The way that Michiru carried it almost made it seem as precious as her violin, but the athlete had never seen it before.

“I don’t think I recognize that mirror.”

Sea green snapped from her fingers on the glass reflection to look back at her friend.  “Oh, um, I just found it.  I think it fell off the table when you were grabbing that bouquet earlier.”

“Really?”  the blonde asked dumbfounded as she inspected the object.  “That seems like a strange thing for a fan to just give away.  Do you think your mom might’ve left it?”

The aquanette shook her head as she moved back to her open violin case, placing the mirror daintily next to it so that she could finish packing her instrument.  “I haven’t heard from her in years Haruka.  I don’t think she’d suddenly make an appearance now.”

The blonde’s jaw unhinged, attempting to form words, or more attempting to take them back.  Michiru’s mother had been a more-or-less touchy subject since-

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

The case snapped shut.  “It’s okay Ruka,” the aquanette turned to give the blonde a bittersweet smile.  “I know she was important to you too.”

The blonde offered a half-shrug.  Michiru’s mother was nice to her.  When she started hanging out with Michiru outside of music classes the older woman would dote on her as if she was her own child.  The blonde had wondered how much of her home life her childhood friend had informed her parental figure, but it didn’t really matter anymore.

The aquanette grabbed her case and mirror in one hand while she began to stride towards the door.  “Shall we head out?  It is a school night and it would behoove us to not be out too late.”

The blonde looked up as she began to rub the back of her head.  “Actually, Michi… I was thinking-”

“You are _not_ walking home tonight.”

The blonde looked towards the aquanette, who’s features were as stern as her voice.  “B-But my mom can’t know that I was here!  If you give me a ride-”

“If it makes you feel better we can drop you off a block away from your house.”

“How about you drop me off in the Jûban shopping district?  It’s not too far from our neighborhood.”

The musician unleashed a sigh as she clenched the objects tighter in her hand.  “If… If that’s what you want.”

The athlete’s gaze dropped and she grabbed one of her elbows.  “I’m sorry Michi…  I know it’s stupid, but-”

“It’s not you Ruka.”

The athlete looked towards her friend who refused to meet her gaze.  “Come on, the ushers here can grab the rest of the flowers.”

The blonde released a sigh.  She shuffled her feet as she moved past the aquanette who led her toward the limousine that was to deliver her home.  The remaining gifts were quickly packed into the car as the two young women remained quietly inside the vehicle.  The entire car ride was silent as both remained lost inside their own thoughts, Haruka staring out the window while Michiru’s gaze remained transfixed on the mirror, thinking about where it might’ve come from and if it actually had been from her mother.

She hadn’t heard from her in nearly four years.

She didn't know if her mother was unhappy with her father, or if she was unhappy remaining in one place for so long.  She knew her parents were arguing more and more until eventually her mother just... left.

She didn’t understand what was going on, just what eventually happened.

At least her mother left her a note.

A note that she had memorized in her mind and soul for whenever her heart was uncertain.

That way she could at least convince herself that her mother was happy with her.

They dropped Haruka off on the outskirts of the shopping center, hoping to avoid too much traffic.  Their farewells were half-hearted as the blonde walked deeper into the district.  What if Haruka was right?

What if her mother really had returned?

She wiped away the tear that threatened to showcase itself on her cheek as she let out a soft murmur.  “Please, just take me home.”

The ride seemed so slow now that Haruka wasn’t there.  She just needed to get back to the note and look for something she might have missed.  Some sign that maybe this was her mother.

That maybe she still cared.

The limo stopped as she gathered her things with the driver helping to deliver the flowers that had been so abundantly given to her.  She always appreciated the sentiments her fans would offer her, though she would feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of floral decorations she would be offered.

She only had so much room to keep such carnations in.

After everything had been unloaded in her house she went straight to her room, setting her violin case by the door while she placed the mirror on the vanity as her eyes immediately moved towards the drawer below.  She opened the drawer, empty except for a small folded up piece of paper.

_I love you Michiru.  I love you and will always love you and I hope you will always remember that._

_But if you love me, then why are you leaving._

Michiru reached out with one hand as the memory of her mother’s bittersweet smile filled her vision.

_Maybe when you’re older, you’ll understand._

SHRIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK

Michiru jumped in her seat, banging her knee on the vanity that caused the hand mirror to clatter against the surface.  She grimaced as she began to rub her knee before noticing that the loud noises were coming from  _inside_ the mirror.

She grabbed the handle and looked into the glass as the flash returned to her.  Images of a castle, monsters, champions in sailor suits, a princess.  She watched as a young man transformed into some kind of beast and began attacking anyone and anything that was nearby.

_Neptune Planet Power!_

She leapt out of her bedroom window, rushing towards the Sankakusu Delta as she kept the mirror clutched in her hand, letting it guide her to wherever she was needed until large booming sounds of shattered concrete directed her towards the monster.

The monster roared, noting her presence as it began to charge forward while the aquanette reflected the mirror straight towards the monster.

_Deep Submerge!_

A sudden torrent of the ocean's wrath burst forth through the glass, obliterating the monster who left with a ghoulish squeal, leaving nothing but it's victim unconscious body on the sidewalk.

She breathed heavily.  Mirror still poised to reflect to the world the power that she now held as she kept it clutched in her hands ready for attack.  In and out, in and out, in and-

She gasped.  Looking around she suddenly became very lost.  _What had just happened?_

She looked down at herself.  Her elegant performance gown had been replaced with a teal colored sailor suit, fitted with a short skirt that was the same teal color as the collier that wrapped around her shoulders and flowed in the breeze, tied together by a navy blue bow.

Her gaze wandered to her surroundings.  There had been some damage to the buildings nearby, but considering most of them were still in the construction process, it was a miracle that none of them had been completely torn down.

A gust came by, blowing her teal lock past her face, forcing her to turn and see the direction the wind was headed. 

As if something were calling the world’s attention to it.

She looked up.  The gust continued to blow as it moved past all the other buildings to simply stop at the giant tower that loomed over the area from the center of the delta, letting everyone who walked down the streets know which building was the most important.  Which building would demand the world’s respect.

It was Mugen Academy.

A humorless chuckle escaped the aquanette as her eyes misted over at the sight.

“It’s that time, isn’t it?”

The wind didn’t answer.

Her hand mirror felt cold as the whole world seemed to still at the question she had asked.

Tears slid down her cheeks as she felt the world recede from her.  What was she supposed to do?  What was _Haruka_ going to do?

She didn’t want her to be alone.

 _She_ didn’t want to be alone.

* * *

 

_Mama, when I grow up, I’m gunna take ‘Ruka somewhere far away from here so that we can live happily ever after!_

_Well, I can’t have you doing that now, can I?_

_Huh?  Why not?_

_Well…_

_(She poked my nose with a cupcake battered finger as I squealed at her.)_

_Mama!  You got cupcake on my nose!_

_(She laughed so delightfully while her eyes sparkled.)_

_Sweetie, do you know how much I’d miss you if you moved too far away?_

_(I wiped the batter off my nose and beamed a smile at her.)_

_But mama!  You’re a world travellin’ music-shun!  You would be able to visit us all the time!_

_(A soft chuckle escaped her as she focused her attention on stirring the batter.)_

_I haven’t toured in years sweetie.  I gave that up so that I could stay here and watch you grow._

_Why doesn’t papa stay and watch me grow too?_

_Well, I don’t make much money teaching music.  Besides, you’ve turned Ten’ô-chan’s piano lessons into more of a play date than anything._

_But she needs to know that people care about her!  (I rushed over to grab the step-stool my mother kept in the kitchen and brought it by her side.)  How the cupcakes coming?_

_I already gave you a sample.  Did you not try it?_

_You put it on my nose!_

_(She laughed again as I tried to sneak a taste of the batter.  She swatted my hand away as she dished out a small sample of the batter in my open palm after lecturing me about needing to wash my hands before working with food.  I rolled my eyes before greedily devouring the treat.)_

_Mama!  This is delishush!_

_(She gave a soft chuckle as she moved the bowl of batter to the table where the muffin tray was.)_

_Of course, sweetie.  I know you’ll accept nothing less than perfection for your little princess._

_(I giggled softly at the wink she gave me, but the laughter died quickly as my thoughts were weighed down by the word she chose.)_

_I don’t think ‘Ruka thinks she’s a prinsuss.  She says her mama says she can’t be a real girl, but I don't get it.  Mama, what does it mean?  Why can't 'Ruka be a real girl?_

_(My mom didn’t answer.  She had completely stopped panning up the cupcakes as her hand clenched the wooden spoon and her jaw was set tight.  I was worried for a moment that I’d said something to make her angry.  After a while she got back to panning the batter into the little cupcake slots as I lowered my gaze.)_

_Mama, do you think I could give ‘Ruka a happily ever after?_

_(She paused again as I rushed to continue my thought before she’d look angry again.)_

_It’s just, ‘Ruka seems so sad, and I don’t want her to be like that.  (I looked towards her, hopeful for an answer.)  Can I give her a happily ever after?_

_(She sighed as her shoulders drooped, as if suddenly something incredibly heavy were placed on her.  She turned around and cupped my face forcing my gaze to be locked into the deep dark blue color of my mother’s eyes.)_

_Michiru, I believe that what you’re doing for Ten’ô-chan is incredible, and I’m so blessed to have such a caring daughter.  You were able to help her see kindness in a world where she believed it couldn’t exist and were able to offer her your friendship.  However, a happily ever after cannot simply be given, but also must be accepted.  And I hope you both can find a happily ever after, whether it’s with each other or not._

_(I turned away as I tried to process everything my mother had said.  Gaze averting at an implication that I didn’t want to occur.)_

_I want to be part of ‘Ruka’s happily ever after._

_(She offered a small smile as she ruffled my hair softly.)_

_If you both decide to create a happily ever after together, then I can’t imagine a more perfect ending._

_.           .           .           .           ._

_Michi,_

_I’m sorry, that’s Ten’ô-chan’s name for you, isn’t it?  I hope you don’t mind me borrowing it for this moment.  I know you’re probably confused as to why I’m leaving.  First and foremost, I want you to know that none of this is your fault.  Your father and I simply have our disagreements that are making living with each other less of a possibility.  I wish I could take you with me so that you could see the world that you would be touring if you choose to continue with your music, however I didn’t have the heart to take you from your home, your school, and, most importantly, your loved ones.  I wanted to ask you if you’d rather stay with me or your father, but I knew your inevitable rejection of me would’ve surely broken my heart.  Even if I knew the reason would be because Tenô-chan needed you more than either of us._

_Let me tell you this, I wouldn’t have left you there if I didn’t believe that you were surrounded by love.  You are a beautiful young woman whose true grace comes from your limitless kindness.  I know that these days will be hard and confusing and I’m so sorry for forcing this situation onto you like this, but so long as you have Tenô-chan with you I know you’ll be fine.  You’ll both be fine._

_I’m so sorry things happened this way sweetie and it may be unfair of me to ask this of you, but I would like you to keep me a promise.  Please, promise me that you will never stop loving authentically.  We live in a world where love is only considered true if it’s surrounded by the right conditions, but the love you have for others is unbound by such contingencies._

_Forever strive to love the ones you love for who they are, whoever they may be._

_And perhaps, when you finally find your happily ever after, I’ll be there to share in it, with whoever you choose to be part of it, if that decision occurs._

_May we meet again in better times with no love lost between us._

_With love that defies time and distance._

_Kaiô Sara_

_.         .         .         .         ._

“Michi… Hey, Michi!”

Eyelids fluttered quickly as the aquanette slowly fazed back into reality, lethargically turning her gaze towards the voice.  “Hm?”

“You alright Michi?  You’ve been pretty spacey since your recital.”

“I’m fine,” the young woman responded as she quickly turned her gaze back away from her friend.  The blonde followed the gaze back to the mirror that she fondled so gently in her hands.  She hadn’t been without that thing since she picked it up and she didn’t even know where it came from.

“You’ve been pretty quiet today…”

The aquanette offered another hum in acknowledgment as her eyes remained blankly staring at that stupid mirror that seemed to have simply sucked the musician’s soul away.  Haruka just wanted to get her friend’s attention away that thing!

“You can talk to me about anything...” the blonde reached out to place a hand on her friend’s shoulder as she looked on with pleading blue eyes.  “You know that, right?”

Michiru’s entire body seemed to clench in that moment, hands grasping the mirror tighter as her eyes tried to close out the world.  She knew she had to tell her friend eventually but-

“Michi?”

She had simply wanted to spend-

“Hey-”

“I’m leaving…”

Just a little more time with the person dearest to her.

The blonde’s hand slid off her shoulder as she stared at the despondent aquanette in utter disbelief.  “What?”

“I’m transferring to Mugen…”

The athlete stared on as the aquanette remained stone solid, gaze remaining locked on the mirror and _not_ on the blonde who so desperately wanted to look into those green eyes that sparkled like the sea when that soft smile slowly crept upon her lips.

A humorless chuckle left the blonde as she held herself up on the school bench.  “You’re kidding, right?  I mean-”

“They will help me fund an international tour…”

“Is that really all this is about?”

The aquanette winced.  The pain in the blonde’s tone was so palpable that Michiru could swear it landed on her mirror, making it heavier to hold.  She turned her head slowly as she sheepishly looked into the sky blue orbs of Haruka’s eyes.

“I have to go Haruka…”

“NO!!!”

The blonde stood up as she glared down at her friend.  “You don’t _have_ to go!  You’ve had opportunities like these since you were ten!  But you’re going to tell me that you suddenly care about them _now_?!”

“Ruka-”

“Don’t ‘Ruka’ me, Michiru!  I know you’re just sick of me and are looking for an excuse to dump me!”

“No!”  The aquanette grabbed one of the blonde’s wrists before she could get too far away.  “Ruka, please!  You could come with me!  Kaori-sempai said she could-”

“Forget it!”  The athlete shouted as she wrung her arm out from the desperate woman’s grasp.  “There’s no way I could go there!  My mom would never allow it!”

“But Ruka!”

“Fuck off, Michi!  I’m not even supposed to be talking to you anyway!”

She took a step back, the angry blonde turning her back on her as she begged for her friend to reconsider.

“Ruka-”

“Go do whatever you want Michiru.  I clearly have no place in your life anymore.”

“Ruka…”

The sound was practically inaudible over the blonde’s footsteps and the soft murmurs of the onlooking students.

“Ruka, please!”

But the blonde ignored her, continuing to walk straight ahead as the school bell rang signaling the end of the lunch period.  Students began shuffling to their classes as the aquanette remained standing in front of the bench, staring at the spot where her friend disappeared, tears slowly making their journey down her cheeks.

She started to cry.

She wiped the tears quickly as she kept the mirror clutched in her other hand.

_Not here._

_Not now._

She lifted her head, eyes still misty from the whole endeavor.  She took one step.

Then two.

She kept moving, focusing her vision on the road ahead of her as she walked.  Past where her friend had disappeared.  Past the entrance to the school.  Past the school building.

She just kept walking, onward and onward until finally she reached her house.

She opened the door and stepped inside, mechanically moving towards her bedroom as she placed the hand mirror next to her copy of _Romeo and Juliet_.  She let her fingers run across the cover, feeling too heartbroken to admonish herself for forgetting the book for her English class.

It’s not like she was going to that class anyway.  She went home early.

Her eyes slowly drifted from the book to the small vase she had placed on her vanity that held a single white rose.

The tears fell freely as she reached out and caressed the flower, sobbing into what little she had to hold onto of her friend, remembering the teasing she’d endured over their latest reading assignment.

_That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet._

The aquanette backed away slowly, lowering herself onto her bed as she continued to cry, staring at the gift.  A part of her wanted to fight back the tears, but the effort would've only been in vain.

What else could she do?

What  _will_ she do? 

She had been with Haruka so long that she couldn’t even remember a time in her life when the obnoxious blonde wasn’t a part of it.

_What woud she possibly do without her friend?_

Haruka was practically the air she breathed.

How was she supposed to survive without?

“Michiru?  Are you in here?”

“F-Father?”  The aquanette quickly rose to sit upright on her bed as she wiped her tears with one hand, caressing the rose with the other.  “I-I’m sorry father.  How was work?”

“I left early.”  The gruff voice responded as he entered further into the musician’s bedroom.  “I got a call that you were missing for the latter half of your classes.”

The violinist wiped her bleary eyes as she looked towards the clock on the nightstand.

4:17.

Had she truly been crying for that long?

“I… I’m sorry father…”  the soft voice came as she tried to wipe the blurs out of her eyes.  “I’m sorry.”

“Michiru,” the businessman soothed as he sat next to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders in an attempt to console his daughter.  “What’s wrong?  This is very unlike you.”

The rose twiddled slightly between her slender fingers as the violinist watched the slow rotations of the rose in her hand.

“I’m in love, father.”

A deep sigh escaped the paternal figure as he moved to brush a strand of hair out of the aquanette’s face.  “Oh Michiru-”

“I’m in love with Ten’ô Haruka.”

Her father froze.  He leaned back slightly to better analyze his daughter, whose gaze remained completely transfixed on the flower in her hand.

“I’m so in love with her, father.”

The strong arm slowly fell from the daughter’s shoulders as the father figure rose from his spot, snapping the aquanette’s gaze towards her remaining parental figure.

“Fa-”

“I see!”  The man announced brusquely as he smoothed out his suit.  “Please forgive me, I knew that your mother was indulging you in some… inappropriate delusions.”

“Father, wha-”

“Michiru!”  The man interrupted as he cupped her face, forcing her sea green gaze to lock onto rigid brown eyes.  “There is no such thing as love between two women.  This is nothing more than a phase that your mother so unfairly encouraged.  I apologize I didn’t stop this sooner, for her delusions are now causing you to suffer.”

“Father, you don-”

“But I will fix this!”  The man announced as he straightened to his full height.  “I will call Kaori-san immediately and see that you be transferred out of your current school just as swiftly.  And I will make sure that Kaori-san take extra precautions in ensuring that Ten’ô-san will be unable to find you there.”

“NO! But, FATH-”

“I know this will be difficult for you in the beginning,” the staunch accountant began to explain, “But once you spend some time away from that child you will realize that what you thought was love was nothing more than a ridiculous delusion.”

“Father, you can't be serious!”

The aquanette rose from her spot as her father walked to the door, looking over his shoulder at his desperate daughter with one hand on the door knob.  “I know you may not see it now, but I know that you will, in time, agree with me on this.  It’s what’s best for you Michiru.”

“Father, wait!  Please, you don’t-”

The door slammed shut as Michiru’s free hand slapped against the wood surface and her head softly banged against the exit.

“Father, you don’t understand… Please fa- yo-you don’t…”

Her body twisted with the back of her head now against the door as the tears began to flow uncontrollably.  Slowly the aquanette slid down the surface as the door dragged her hair up while her sobs continued to wrack her body and contort her message.

“You don… father… please just u-understand… please…”

She buried her face in her knees as her slender fingers let the white rose fall softly to the ground, the sobs overtaking her body and despair overtaking her mind.

She had simply wanted a happily ever after.

_Oh Romeo!  Romeo!_

A bitter laugh escaped.

A heart-wrenching sob returned.

_Wherefore art thou Romeo?_


	4. A Life on the Brink

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is where the fic gets a bit more controversial, but, I mean, who's going to read a Haruka/Michiru fic not expecting non-binary gender identities getting thrown in somewhere. Anyways, here comes an update!

The sky felt incredibly heavy that day.

She didn’t know why she felt that way, she just thought it was an apt description of how the sky felt.

Just like how ‘apt’ felt like the kind of word Michiru would use to describe something just because it sounded more ‘proper.’

But Michiru wasn’t there.

The blonde tried to not let it bother her, tried to ignore the fact that the aquanette was missing from the latter half of her classes, but she couldn’t help but worry about it.

Michiru was  _always_ there.

Always there with the perfect grades, the wondrous grace with which she would raise her hand as her melodious voice would fill the room with all the wisdom in the world.  People would whisper while boys would make bets on who could get her for a date, and she’d just ignore it all and smile as if everything was perfect in the world.  And to Haruka, everything may as well have been perfect in the world.

Because MIchiru was there.

And then Michiru would find her, separating herself from the rest of the world just to give the blonde her own personal appearance while denouncing the existence of everyone else.  She’d always have that calm elation at being able to share in the athlete’s presence, but there was always that hint of concern that always shone whenever she asked if Haruka was okay.  And how couldn’t she be okay?

Michiru was there.

So why wasn’t Michiru here now?!

The blonde sulked deeper into her bed as she tried hard to fight the tears.

She didn’t want Michiru to go.

She wanted to continue admiring her grace, and clenching her fists at the boys’ gawks at her best friend, and remain locked in that special existence that seemed especially reserved for her forever.

She wanted things to be okay again.

She wanted to go back to the lunch period and take it all back, doing... well... anything instead of snapping like the short-tempered tantrum maker she was.  She wanted to have a lunch where the aquanette and her would make minor observations of their fellow classmates as they sat idly on a school bench.  She wanted to point out that odango blonde who always seemed to be causing trouble somewhere.  She wanted Michiru to suggest that Haruka start wearing her hair like that, teasing the blonde as slender fingers would grab fistfuls of hair and bunch them on either side of the athlete’s head to test the look on her friend.  She wanted to slap her friend’s hands away while explaining that she’d never live with herself if she became a ‘dumpling-head’ as they continued to watch the kohai.  They weren’t sure why that particular student always caught their attention when there were plenty of other students at the school.

Haruka was certain the hair had something to do with it.

They had noticed that the blonde’s lunch group began altering slightly.  When they first noticed her, they noticed that she was eating with a brunette and an otaku.  Somehow she always managed to catch their eyes, but they didn't give her much attention outside of her hairdo.

The she left her regular lunch group for a bluenette.

The athlete was more confused than anything, the change in lunch friends seemed rather sudden after all, but the aquanette was utterly aghast.

Another Michiru word.

Of course, the aquanette actually knew who the bluenette was, or, at least, she had heard of her.  She asked the athlete if she hadn’t heard of the genius girl Mizuno-san who had just transferred in while the blonde simply rolled her eyes.  So the odangoe’s new friend was important and brainy, not anything the blonde cared for, but the aquanette seemed to take a special interest in that development.

The bookworm seemed so shy and uncertain while the bumbling blonde just seemed to barrel in with a bucket of joy especially reserved for her new friend.

Haruka wondered if she saw a resemblance of their friendship there, but the blonde didn’t give it much more thought than that.

What caught the athlete’s interest was when a new brunette joined the lunch group.

Students were spreading rumors about her getting in a fight or getting kicked out or something.  Haruka didn’t pay attention to those things.

What caught Haruka’s attention was the sight of the brunette.  It was obvious the newcomer was very feminine, but she also carried herself with so much strength, so much power.

The blonde had never seen a woman like her before.

She remembered Michiru being quiet that day.  Or maybe she was talking the same amount but the blonde wasn’t listening as well.

The details got foggy sometimes.

She did remember Michiru being huffy about it, accusing the blonde of blatantly staring at the new student and being a creep.  The athlete quickly defended herself as she tried to explain what so enraptured her about blonde’s latest friend.  That femininity, that power, all rolled into one person.

Her mom would’ve told her that wasn’t possible.

But, she couldn’t help but want to be like that.  Maybe not the femininity thing, she wasn’t sure about that one, but that strength.

She didn’t want to feel like she was flinching at every movement she made because everything she did was wrong.

She asked Michiru if she thought she could learn how to move with that kind of courage and strength.

The aquanette paused for a moment, before dropping her gaze with a soft smile.  She slowly moved forward and cupped the blonde’s cheek.

“Of course you can Haruka, you have more courage and strength than anyone I’ve ever met.”

The blonde wanted to argue that she didn’t meet that new student yet.

But Haruka couldn’t argue against Michiru.

No matter what the aquanette said, the blonde always felt like Michiru didn’t speak the truth, but that the words the violinist spoke simply became truth whenever she breathed out the words.

And Haruka told her off.

A door below the blonde creaked open as the distraught athlete turned over to shove her face in her pillow, hoping to muffle her already soft cries.

She didn’t need her mom interrogating her on her life.

She needed Michiru back.

She gave a sigh.  If she left now, her mother would catch her and the blonde was in no condition to play her mother’s mind games in an attempt to find her best friend.

She wiped her tears as she tried to draw on the courage and strength that the aquanette swore the blonde bore.

Tomorrow she would find Michiru.

Tomorrow she would make everything right.

* * *

 

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

“Michiru!  It's me!  Please, just open up!’

The blonde waited for a second, hoping for a response.

“Michiru… Please…”

The blonde begged the door as hope began to drain from her body.

KNOCK… KNOCK… THUNK

“I’m sorry.”

Tears threatened to fall as the athlete desperately tried to hold it together.  She didn’t think she was asking for much.

She just wanted her friend back.

The blonde leaned away from the door and looked towards the garage.  She didn’t want to barge in during a time like this.

What if Michiru didn’t want to see her?

The blonde shook her head as she ran over to the garage panel and punched in the numbers.  Even if Michiru didn’t want to see her, she could at least leave the schoolwork the aquanette had missed in the past day and a half.

She could still say she was sorry.

She hit enter and-

CODE INCORRECT

“You’re fucking kidding me…”

The blonde tried again as tears welled in her eyes, she tried hitting enter again and-

“It won’t do you much good Ten’ô-chan,” a gruff voice resounded as the loud slam of the car door accentuated the businessman’s arrival.  “I had a feeling you would be showing up today, so I made it a point to change the codes.”

“Oh...” The blonde responded, uncertain as to how to take the man’s tone.  “Uh, o-okay.”

The dark haired man simply grunted in response as he moved towards the front door, desperation taking over the blonde’s actions.

“Wait!  Is Michiru here?  I need to talk to her!”

Dark brown eyes challenged the sky.  “And why do you _need_ to talk to my daughter?”

The blonde flinched slightly, surprised by the tone that the parental figure used.  “I-I mean, I have Michiru’s homework.  She hasn’t been at school recently and I’m worried about her and…” the blonde paused, rationalizing that the tone the businessman had used wasn’t completely undeserved.  “And... I still need to... apologize to her.”

The man huffed as he fiddled with his keys.  “You needn’t worry about Michiru’s homework, for she will receive all her academic instruction elsewhere and will no longer be attending your institution-”

“But-”

“And you needn’t worry about apologizing to my daughter.”  The gruff voice announced as he opened the door.  “She’s somewhere where you won’t be able to hurt her anymore.”

Tears fell freely as the blonde let the words sink in.  The creaking door forced her to shake off her reverie as she realized the man was about to lock her out.

It couldn’t end here.

“No wait, please!”  The blonde cried as she pushed the door open enough for the father to see her.  “Please, just let me talk to her, I need to make things right!”

“If you want to make things right, then stay away from my daughter!”  The man shouted as he gave the blonde a pointed glare.  “I will not let you lead her further astray than you already have.”

The door slammed in a tear-stained face as the blonde stared blankly at the door.

What was that supposed to mean?

Why couldn’t she see Michiru?

How could she make things right?

Tears fell as the blonde brought a hand up to hide her face in.  She had relied on all her strength and courage just to go there today.

And now it was all spent.

A sudden breeze blew by, chilling the tears on her face and blowing her hair behind her.  She turned around, seeing where the wind was calling her to.

 _I’m transferring to Mugen_.

That’s right.  Michiru told her she would be transferring out.  She told her she wouldn't be going back to Juban High.

Hope began to well within the athlete as it seemed to carry her away.  Letting the wind guide her to where her destiny lay, running as fast as she could to find her dearest friend.  She and Michiru were always together.  Surely destiny would keep them together.

And if not, then Haruka would just have to defy destiny. 

* * *

 

The blonde stumbled forward as she pressed her hands against her knees, heaving heavily as a familiar red head stepped out towards the front steps of the school.

“Why hello there Ten’ô-chan.  Have you reconsidered my offer to attend Mugen Academy?”

“Michiru…”

Cold stone eyes analyzed the blonde through narrow lenses as the school instructor let the smile she wore slide off.  “I apologize, I don’t believe I caught your answer.”

“Where… is Michiru…?”

Sky blue eyes gazed hopefully up at the figure standing in front of the door, watching as a soft smirk crept upon the insctuctor's face.  “Ah, and you think she would be here?”

“Kaori-sensei, please…” the blonde begged as she stumbled a few paces forward, falling to her knees in front of the academy steps.  “Please just let me talk to her Kaori-sensei.”

The red head hummed to herself as she took slow steps forward, the blonde watching every movement, ensuring the instructor she could have all the attention the world could demand from her if it meant finding her dearest friend again.  The black heels continued to clack against the tile steps before coming to a halt in front of the blonde.

“I apologize Ten’ô-chan, but I can’t answer that for you.”

Tears fell down the blonde’s cheeks as the words settled in, rising to her feet in defiance of the world.  “No.  Nonononono, she’s here.  I mean, she has to be here!  She told me she would be transferring to Mugen Academy!”

“Well, whether she is attending Mugen or not… I honestly cannot say.”  The red-head stated as the blonde noticed a light lilt in her tone.  “It’s against school policy to disclose the registration status of potential and/or current students without the proper consent from a parent or guardian.”

“You can’t tell me that!”  The blonde denied before bursting into sobs.  “Please don’t tell me that!  Just let me see her please!”

Fingers snapped as two security guards approached either side of the red-head, causing the blonde to stumble back slightly, the instructor let a smirk sneak onto her face.  “I apologize, but rules are rules.  I cannot divulge information on any students who may be in attendance.  However…”

The red head paused, noticing the rising hope within sky blue eyes.  “If you were to attend our academy, you would have access to the student directory.”

“You…”

A sinister grin stretched across the red head’s face as a glint was noticeable in her stone grey eyes.  “You would have the opportunity to see if Michiru were truly in attendance here.”

Fists clenched, shivering with rage before the blonde rushed forward.  “YOU FUCKING BITCH!!!”

The two guards rushed over, grabbing each of the blonde’s arms as she screamed at them and struggled to get loose while the instructor raised her chin to look down at the enraged teenager.  “That’s no way to talk to someone who is offering to help you.  I'm giving you a wondrous opportunity.”

“’Giving me an opportunity?!’”  The blonde questioned as she struggled against the officers.  “You’re extorting me for your stupid school!”

“Hmph, well if that’s your answer, then there’s nothing more I can do for you.”

“Where are you going?!”

The red head looked over her shoulder, casting an icy gaze that sent a shivering sensation through the blonde's soul.  “I apologize that I cannot stay, but I do have a school to run.  The offer still stands for you, if you change your mind about attending this academy, but unless you wish to discuss transferring to Mugen then there’s nothing more that needs to be said.”

“NO!!! WE’RE NOT DONE TALKING YET!!!”  The blonde screamed and raged as she fought against the guards holds who tried to get her to calm down.  “PLEASE, JUST TELL ME-

TELL ME WHERE MICHIRU IS!!!”

The blonde sobbed as her legs collapsed beneath her, causing the guards to follow her as she fell to the ground.  Strong grips loosened as she began to slam her fists into the ground, wishing that she could simply knock down whatever barrier was keeping her from the violinist.

Keeping her from her life-long friend.

The pounding stopped as she hid her head in her arms.  Sobs shaking her body violently as she simply let all the despair take over.

This was her only lead.

“Hey…” a soft voice from the guard on her right came as he placed a tentative hand on the blonde-

“Don’t touch me!”  The athlete screamed at the guard as she turned from the ground, startling the other guard to try and subdue her.  She rolled out from under his grasp and began to run.  Running as fast as she could away towards anywhere as the guards got ready to give chase.

“Leave her be.”  The instructor commanded from the top step of the school.  “There’s no point in going after her.”

“Are you sure that’s wise Kaori-sama?”  The second guard asked, turning with a straight posture.  “She was rather escalated during this incident, she could go out and start disrupting the city.”

“That’s nothing to be concerned about.  She’ll probably just head on home at this point.”  The red head deadpanned. “Besides,” the instructor turned to enter the building as a devious smirk crossed her face.

“It’s not like she has anywhere else to run.”

* * *

 

_What’re you doing here?!  I didn’t do anything!  I’m sorry!!!_

_I’m scared for you Haruka_

_I don’t wanna hurt anymore!_

_Please… be my friend…_

_I don’t wanna hurt anymore!_

_I promise I’ll never hurt you_

_I don’t wanna hurt anymore…_

And _God_ did it hurt so _bad_.

Tears soaked her pillow as her heaving sobs continued without end.

She fucked up.

She had desperately and royally and totally fucked up!

Michiru was gone.

She finally managed to drive the most incredible and talented and beautiful and compassionate person to have ever graced the world with their presence.

A humorless chuckle escaped the blonde after that thought.

Michiru was the most graceful person too.

And she drove her away!

How could she have fucked up _so_ bad?!

She just wanted Michiru to pay attention to her.  To have lunch like they always did, talking about school or people or… something!

But then there was that mirror.

That’s right, that mirror!

Michiru had been acting strange ever since-

CLUNK

The blonde rolled over upright as quickly as she could while wiping her eyes before focusing her bleary vision to stare out into the doorway.

It looked like her mother hadn’t returned home yet.

The blonde let out a soft sigh as she dared to shed more tears.  They tasted salty.  Like the sea.

Like the air at the bench where she first met Michiru.

She rubbed her eyes with her forearm.  Regardless if her mom was there or not, she definitely heard something.  She was certain it came from the dress-

She froze.

There, on her dresser, was a blue mirror, designed with a wave pattern on one side and a rising druid on the other.

It was Michiru’s mirror.

_But how did it end up there?_

She thought back to the previous day.  Did she take it home?  No, Michiru wouldn’t have let it go.  Which probably meant that the odds of the aquanette sneaking into her house to leave the mirror behind was also unlikely.

Sneaking around wasn’t Michiru’s style anyway.

The blonde got up, hesitantly moving towards the relic as she carefully lifted it.

What was it about the bauble that had enraptured her friend’s attention so complete-

“Michiru?!”

The blonde looked closer into the mirror.  She swore she saw her friend’s reflection in there for just a moment.  Why wasn’t Michiru here?

She flipped the mirror over.  It was nothing more than a useless bauble.

Firm hands clenched around the mirror’s handle.  The aquanette had ignored her for something so worthless.  So mundane.  What was the Michiru thinking?

Was the blonde really that replaceable?

She was going to fix this!

The blonde gripped the mirror handle with both hands before slamming it down against the dresser.

 _It was all this thing’s faul_ -

FLASH

The blonde groaned as all her vision went white.  She tried to pan the area, but the effort was pointless.

There was nothing around.

She grabbed her head and moaned, trying to figure out what was happening.  _Where was her room?  Why was everything white?_

TINK

The mirror.

It had to be the mirror, she was sure of it!

…

But how did it do all this?

And how was Haruka going to get out of this?

She released a deep sigh as she opened her eyes.  Color began to spill onto the white reality and give shape to form.  The images were blurry, and muffled sounds accompanied them.

She closed her eyes.  She had to focus in.  She had to-

“Listen, to me!  Please!!!”

The blonde snapped her eyes open and began to look around.  She was in the hallway of a hospital, with doctors and nurses walking and running by and around her, but she wasn’t paying attention to that.

Instead all her attention was focused on the voice she’d heard.

“Mom?”

“Why should I?!  You didn’t listen to me when I told you those nutrient supplements were a bad idea!  I was told I was having a son!”

“I know, please, I didn’t mean for this to happen!  This isn’t my fault!”

“Of course it’s your fault!  You’re the one who gave birth to that _freak_!”

“You can’t say that!  Please, the doctors said they could fix it!  They said the child could still be okay!”

“You fix it,” the rough voice demanded, causing every other nurse and doctor on the scene to go silent, even as their conversations continued while they moved to their next destination.  “ _It_ is your problem now.”

“Hiro…”

A door creaked loudly as blue eyes immediately looked down the hall and to the right where a man with slicked back platinum blonde hair had opened the door.

“NO HIRO!  WAIT, PLEASE, COME BACK!!!  WE CAN FIX THIS!!!  WE CAN STILL HAVE A FAMILY!!!!!”

The door slammed with a deafening _boom_ causing the blonde to stumble backward.  She could still hear the wails of the distraught woman through the closed door, but the man seemed completely oblivious to them.  Instead, he put on the brown hat, that matched his perfectly tailored suit, and began to walk awa-

“Sir,” a dark haired doctor called out with a clipboard as he approached the leaving patron.  “Sir, are you the father of the young Teno’ô-chan?  We need to ask you some questions regarding-”

“I apologize, but you are mistaken,” the man calmly informed.  “I have no children.”

The doctor began to stumble over his words as the man began to walk away, heading straight towards Haruka, looking straight at her.

Staring her down with sky blue eyes.

Tears welled within the blonde’s eyes, rolling down her cheeks as she allowed the man to garner all of her attention as he walked directly towards her.

"Dad?"

The blonde reached out, trying to capture the man she'd wondered about all her life.

The man walked right through her.

Calloused fingers closed to grab onto what little of the image of her father she could hold onto, but he continued to fade through her fingers like sand.  Continuing his journey further away from the room her mother was in.

Blue eyes watched as the man began to fade away, blending back into the white background of non-existence.

“Dad…”

The sobs continued from the room he had left.  The blonde took a hesitant step forward, slowly approaching the room her mother was in.

Slowly approaching the truth.

She looked towards the sound, the wall into the next room faded away as the blonde slowly approached her sobbing maternal figure.

“Mom…”

“Now Tenô-san.  I apologize for this… unfortunate event, however we have procedures for those born with ambiguous genitalia.  I believe that one of our assistants has already-”

“Cut it off…”

The doctor hummed in confusion, adjusting his glasses as he looked on at the clipboard.  “I apologize, could you please repeat that?”

“I said cut it off!”  The woman screamed as she glared at the doctor whose expression didn’t shift in the slightest from her reaction.  He simply nodded as he handed her a clip board.

“A wise decision.  Please, just sign here and we can begin with the corrective surgery right away.”

She quickly snatched the clipboard and pen, signing away an unnamed child’s life as the tears fell to solidify her resolve in the decision, making a silent vow to herself as she signed.

_If Hiro’s upset with not having a son, then I’ll just have to have a daughter._

“Wha-”

But the blonde’s question was interrupted, the scene rushing out of focus as all the people and equipment got sucked into a singular small point, returning the total whiteness to the scene before the blonde stumbled backward and fell onto the carpet floor.

_What just happened?_

The blonde took heaving breaths as the mirror softly clattered on the carpet next to her, words ringing in her head.  Fix.  Son.  Mistaken.

Freak.

_Ow, mama, please stop hurting me._

_It’s your own fault!  If you were a real girl there would be no reason to hurt you!_

_We-Well I’ll try!  I’ll try to be a real girl so I can make you happy._

_Pft, you can’t be a real girl.  You’re nothing more than a freak._

Tears began to spill down the blonde’s cheeks.  What did she do wrong?  Why did her father leave?  Why did her mother-

_We have procedures for those born with ambiguous genitalia._

Sky blue eyes misted over as a mechanical hand instinctively moved to the front of her skirt.

_Cut it off!_

The hand quickly retreated as the blonde sobbed.  So that's what it meant!  That's what her mother was saying all along.

She wasn’t a real girl.

So then… what was she?

_Freak._

“Stop…”

_FREAK._

“I SAID STOP!!!”

“Haruka!”

The blonde froze as she felt the familiar voice stab deeply into her core.

“Haruka, come down here now!”

A shivering sigh escaped the blonde who quickly wiped the tears from her eyes as she slowly lifted herself from the ground to walk out the door, standing at the top of the stairs with her hesitation as evident in her voice as it was in her posture.  “Yes… mother?”

Piercing green eyes peered towards the top of the stairs.  “Have you lost your hearing in the past day, I said to get down here, _now!!!_ ”

The blonde flinched at the tone, clenching hands and eyes in hopes of shutting the world out, but her mother's gaze burned into her being like light from the sun.  Slowly she descended the steps as she felt those vicious green eyes follow her every movement, preparing for the best moment to strike.  The blonde slowly descended the stairs, taking her time before she finally arrived in front of the table that her mother was sitting at.  “Yes, mother?”

The green eyes narrowed as the blonde lowered her head and hunched her shoulders over in utter submissiveness.  As if determining that response to be appropriate, the maternal figure rested her head in one of her hands.  “What were you screaming about just now?”

“I-” the blonde paused.  The mirror.  The surgery.

The truth.

It all demanded explanation, but the questions held onto the tip of her tongue, unwilling to plunge into the watery depths of existence.  “I-It was nothing.  I just had a bad day today.”

“I see…” the secretary announced as she leaned back in her chair.  “And I wouldn’t suppose that this whole fiasco had something to do with that Michiru girl now would it.”

The blonde visibly tensed, one of her hands reaching to grab an elbow in an attempt to comfort herself.  “I told her we weren’t allowed to hang out anymore.  There’s nothing more to it.”

“…Very good,” the seeming interrogator praised, hiding the surprise she’d felt at the blonde’s obedience.  “The relationship you two were engaging in seemed to create a hindrance in your social development.  You’ve become so dependent on that child that you haven’t given any thought to your future.  How do you plan to find a husband and raise a family if you’re constantly clinging to that girl?”

The hand clenched her elbow as she refused to look her mother in the eyes.  “Never thought about it I guess…”

The mother released an exasperated sigh as she rolled her eyes.  “That’s why you’ll never succeed in anything, you can’t even think!  You let Michiru manipulate you into some petty façade of a dance!  You even let her pick that hideous dress for you!”

“I’m the one who picked that dress.”  The blonde announced, rage building at the continued insults that were slandering her friend.  “And the only reason she bought me that dress is because we knew I didn’t have anything to wear and _you_ wouldn’t bother to help!”

“And _why_ would I want to help you embarrass yourself in front of your peers by buying you some cheap dress that you don’t even have a proper date to greet you with?”  The woman questioned as she rose from her seat, moving to stand in from of the blonde.  “If you _had_ found a proper date I would have been more than willing to support your decision, but it’s become obvious that you rely on Michiru too much to make your decisions for you!”

“And that’s different from you making decisions for me?!”  The blonde shouted, praying that Michiru was right about her courage.  “ _You_ get to decide what I wear.  _You_ get to decide who I can go to school dances with?  _You_ get to decide if I can do sports, or if I have to learn piano.  You don’t give me a choice in anything!  You even decided I should be a gir-!”

SLAP

The sound echoed, ringing through the house as time seemed to still with Haruka’s head turned ajar with the open palm just beyond it.

“Who told you?”

The blonde’s head turned slowly, as thunder seemed to strike within sky blue eyes.

“You did.”

“Don’t talk back to me you little-!”

Another slap came around but stopped just before the reddened cheek as the athlete caught the errant wrist.  “You told me.  Just about everyday, you told me I couldn’t be a real girl.  You'd say those things, calling me a born disappointment.  And the only reason you kept me was to try to get back at my dad!”

“YOU DON’T KNOW ANYTHING!!!”

The blonde stumbled back as the enraged woman flailed her arms wildly, towering over the fallen blonde as she breathed heavily.  “Hiro and I were finally going to have a family together and you drove him away!  You’re lucky I chose to help you, even the doctor’s told me you were better off just abandoned!”

“Well what do they know?!”  The blonde screamed as she rose back to her feet.  “They have even less right to make decisions for me than you do!”

“Oh, but your Michiru friend has the right to make decisions for you?”

“She doesn’t make decisions for me!  She cares about me too much for that!”

Tears began to flow down the blonde’s cheeks as her hands clenched at the realization of the words that finally began to sink in.  _Michiru actually cared.  She honest to goodness cared!_

A soft hand grabbed her chin as blue eyes widened with hope in the face of those green eyes.

Green that hardened with a smirk.

“Do you truly believe anyone could care for a freak like you?”

The blonde turned her head out of her mother’s grasp as she took a step back.   “Michiru isn’t just _anyone_.  Hell, she could be the _only one_ for all I care, but I know for certain she cares.  Just watch, I'll find her!”

“Oh, you’re going to find your little friend, are you?”  The secretary asked as she sauntered back to her seat.  “Go ahead then.  You’ll soon learn she was simply using you.  And when you realize it, you’ll begin to understand the utter despair you forced me to go through.”

The blonde watched as her mother paused before taking a seat, lowering her gaze as she offered a confession.  “I’m sorry mom…” the soft voice echoed from the blonde as she looked on with teary eyes.  “I really wanted things to work out.”

“If you wanted things to work out, you wouldn’t have been born wrong!”  The cold voice of her mother rose as the green gaze returned to the blonde.  “There is nothing you can do to _ever_ return what you’ve taken from me!”

“Yeah?”  The blonde asked with a humorless chuckle.  “Well, I could say the same to you.  So how ‘bout we just leave it at that?”

The blonde began to head for the door as the green gaze followed with resentful mirth.  “Do you truly think you can still find that child you obsess over?  I talked to her father, and she is preparing an international tour.  She’s probably not even in the country anymore.”  A soft smirk etched across the secretary’s face.  “You have nowhere to go.”

The blonde opened the door, head weighed down with the events of that day.  “You’re right…” blue eyes peeked over a broad shoulder as she shed the one last tear for the woman.

“Goodbye mother, you won’t see me again.”

The door slammed behind her, a pause freezing time in its place as the blonde took a deep breath.

And then she began to run.

Tears streamed down her face as she ran from her mom.  Ran from her home.

Ran from the truth.

The truth was she had nowhere else to run to.

She had _no one_ else to run to.

The desperation propelled her, encouraged her to run faster.

Half hoping that, if she ran fast enough, she would simply disappear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Michiru did say that Haruka was both male and female, I just took that literally, but I also feel like writing is an incredible platform for discussing the issues that go largely ignored by society at large. On a side note, this is a topic I know very little of outside of some college feminist classes, so if I have portrayed this poorly please let me know what you find to be problematic and what might be an appropriate way to fix it because another reason I write is so that I can learn and, hopefully, become a better and more open-minded person for it. Anyways, thanks so much for reading and please feel free to comment or kudos.


	5. The Building Where Destinies Meet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gosh!!! I finally finished a multi-chapter fic!!!!! I just gotta say thank you to everyone who continued to read and support this fic, especially during the long pauses that happened in between. Anyways, welcome to the thrilling conclusion of Where the Sky Meets the Sea! If you want more Sailor Moon fics, I do have another fic out, War's Greatest Fortune, that focuses more on the inner senshi and, if anyone here is a RWBY fan, I have two one-shots and Aftermath of Autumn is close to being completed. Also, once I finish War's Greatest Fortune I do plan to create a kind of sequel that ties the two together so, for everyone interested, please look forward to that. Well, without any further adieu, please read, kudos, leave a comment and remain awesome everyone!

It was a beautiful night.

The ocean shimmered brilliantly under the light of the moon as a gentle breeze blew from over the star glimmered sea that rolled gently towards the shore.  It all felt so calm, so peaceful.

So the exact opposite of the internal turmoil that Haruka felt right now.

She let a humorless chuckle escape her.  Of course this is where she’d end up.  It was where she’d always go when she wanted to run away from everything that didn’t make sense, since this was the only place sense seemed to care about her feelings.

It was where the sky met the sea.

A soft sob escaped the blonde as she buried her face in her knees.  She wanted Michiru back.  Back to extend her friendship to the scared and lonely… the scared and lonely child that the blonde was back when… back when they were children.

This was so similar to that same day.

Haruka had argued with her with mother about piano lessons, trying to tell her that she didn’t want to do them anymore because she was no good at it and she was scared of Michiru and her mother, but the secretary wouldn’t listen.  Instead she yelled at the blonde, hitting the table as she cussed and shouted at Haruka, causing the fear to rise in the young child.

Haruka knew that the table was only ever the first victim to be attacked when her mother was in a rage.

And so Haruka ran.   Running as far away from that terrible place, not caring where the winds would take her.

Yet somehow, Haruka ended up there.

And somehow Michiru did to.

And miraculously, the aquanette managed to convince the blonde that the world wasn’t all scary.  That it wasn’t all bad.

That there were some good things that the world had to offer.

And Michru wasn’t just one of those things.  She was the best of those things.

The blonde began to rub her eyes.  Maybe this is how Romeo felt when he was exiled to never see Juliet again.  Or maybe this was how Juliet felt when she found out that Romeo had been exiled, the punishment given for the murder of her cousin.

Honestly, Haruka wasn’t sure how either of them were supposed to relate to her.

Seriously, there was a boy and a girl and Haruka pretty much found out she wasn’t either.

How the hell was she supposed to realte to any of that shit?

The blonde sniffed as the sky blue gaze panned across the ocean.  Maybe this could all make sense if Michiru-

The athlete shook her head.  Michiru couldn't help.  She wasn't there.

The blonde paused as the tears rolled softly while her gaze remained fixed on the sea.  Maybe Michiru wasn't there because she was Romeo.  Transferred from the school where they had to keep their friendship secret so that they wouldn't be forced apart.  Haruka half wondered if Michiru had killed someone to get exiled from Jûban High.

The blonde loosed a humorless chuckle.  Michiru would never hurt anyone.  At least, Haruka didn't think she would.  Though, that might not be the case if there was a reason for it.  Despite how feminine the violinist was, it didn’t take away the fact that she was strong.

Just like for how ‘unreal’ a girl Haruka felt, the athlete still felt incredibly weak.

Michiru would definitely be a good Romeo.

Of course, that didn’t take away that Michiru wouldn’t make a fantastic Juliet.

Seriously, the aquanette would be that flamboyant drama queen shouting laments from the tops of towers in hopes that the object of her desires would spontaneously appear.

Of course, Michiru was also incredibly level headed.

She would come up with a plan as brilliant as faking her death to get out of some stupid arranged marriage to be with her true love.  Actually, Michiru would probably come up with a plan way more intricate if it meant getting back together with her true love.

Michiru wouldn’t fuck it up like Romeo and Juliet did.

She was too much of a perfectionist to let anything get in the way of her fantasy.

…

Did Haruka have a place in her fantasy?

Tears rushed down the blonde’s face as she rubbed tear stained cheeks against her knees.

It didn’t matter whether Michiru was more like Romeo or Juliet, or which one of the two the blonde related to most.

What mattered was Michiru was gone.

And the blonde felt irreparably incomplete without the kind-hearted violinist nearby.

Haruka just wanted Michiru back!

She just… she just…

A hiccup interrupted the thought as calloused fingers moved to wipe away a tear.  Was she even allowed to identify as a “she” anymore?  What about “he?”  Honestly, what the hell was… is…

It _is your problem now._

Knees hugged tighter as the blonde further closed off the world.  Father left because he didn’t know what Haruka was.  Mother was abusive because she didn’t know what Haruka was, well other than the source of her father leaving and the convenient scapegoat to the misery she felt at the loss.

What if her mother was right?  What if Michiru left because she found out Haruka wasn’t a real girl?

The blonde cried harder as the thought echoed in the broken mind.

Would Michiru truly leave?  And because of that?

The tears continued to flow and arms tugged tighter.  It didn’t matter why, did it?  Michiru was gone.  If not for that reason than probably for something else that was Haruka’s fault, yet also something Haruka couldn’t control.

_Why was everything her fault?!_

The tears continued to flow as the salty taste resided on her lips.

Salty like the ocean.

Like how she’d imagine Michiru’s lips would taste if she ever had the courage to kiss them.

And _God_ , how she was so close to kissing them that one night.

It wasn’t the first time she’d wanted to kiss the beautiful and musical goddess of the sea, but it was the first time she’d began to listen to that impulse.

What if that’s why Michiru left?

It’s because she’s not a real girl, isn’t it?

Real girls wouldn’t kiss other girls, would they?

That’s how Michiru figured it out?  Why she left?

Why she disappeared like a starlight on the ocean, glimmering so beautifully in one moment only to fully disappear in the next.

The blonde’s head shook as hands rushed to wipe away the tears and blue eyes looked forward.

The ocean looked so beautiful tonight.

Just like Michiru always did.

Strong arms loosened around stiff knees as the athlete released a final sniff as determination filled her bones.

This was nothing more than a messed up _Romeo and Juliet_ skit, right?

Then she may as well play it out as one.

Besides, what’s a better way to go than to drown herself in the symbol of the person she loves most?

Arms shook as the blonde rose unsteadily to weary feet, taking an uneasy step as tears slowly trailed down her cheeks.  The athlete moved forward, slowly taking one step at a time as worn shoes moved from the gravel road to the soft sands of the beach, sinking slowly as they shuffled across until-

FWOOMP

The blonde fell, groaning and cussing as glaring blue eyes turned to look at what tripped the agile athlete before widening in curiousity.

“What the hell?”

The soft breath of the words went unanswered as the blonde moved to pick up the mysterious object that laid half buried in the sand.  Gingerly, calloused hands unearthed the object before raising it the sky and bathing it in the moonlight, causing the silver hilt to reflect beautifully while the white light of the moon refracted with the blue orb that connected the hilt to the blade that somehow looked sharp despite being made with a material that appeared to be transparent.

“Did someone lose a… sword?”

FLASH

The blonde staggered backward as the sword fell to the ground while the athlete’s patience began to run thin.  What the hell was wrong with everything today?  And what was that?  There was a vision of a woman who held that sword, but was also wearing a sailor suit of navy blue and had short blonde hair?

Was that… was that _her_?  Who she could be?

Who she was supposed to be?

“’RUKA!!!”

“Michi?!”

The blonde crawled forward, moving to grab the sword that had produced the aquanette’s voice.  "Michi?!"

The blonde paused as the sword as silent, causing tears to spring back to sky blue eyes.

The world couldn't just tease her like this!

“Please!”  The blonde begged the blade as a strong grip tightened around the sword’s hilt.  “Please, just take me to Michi!”

A sudden gust blew as the blonde rushed to followed its direction, not daring to hesitate lest this be the last chance to find the elusive aquanette.

After all, she still had to find a way to make things right.

* * *

 

“SUBMARINE REFLECTION!!!”

A bright blue glowed from the golden mirror and spotlighted the monster closest encroaching as the light ate away at the monster’s being, causing it to crumble in a salty heap.

It wouldn’t be good enough though.

The aquanette did a dive over the dying monster as two more slashed at where she was previously standing.  She had a slight advantage in their lack of teamwork and inability to coordinate any real plan of attack.

The disadvantage was that she was heavily outnumbered.

One down, six to go.

She landed in a roll, using the momentum to turn while she rose, not daring to keep her back turned on the monsters for too long.  The one on her left rushed forward and gave another horizontal slash.  She ducked under the slash, turning in time and rising her hands in the air to prepare her next attack.

“DEEP SUBMERGE!!!”

She thrust her arms forward as an ocean torrent burst forth from her hands and washed the two monsters away, causing them to shrivel at the contact of the water.

Two more dow-

A monster growled bhind the warrior before offering a slash attack, granting the aquanette time to turn quickly and block the next attack with her hand mirror, however, she couldn’t steady herself quick enough, causing the force of the attack to launch her backwards as she crashed into a brick wall.

She groaned softly as she lifted her head slowly only to notice the same monster rushing towards her to attacked with another horizontal slash.  The aquanette blocked this attack with the front of her mirror, struggling to keep her balance before

“SUBMARINE REFLECTION!!!”

The blue light returned, calcifying the new monster as the aquanette pushed forward to shatter the monster, taking deep breaths as she tried to keep herself going.

WHAM

The aquanette spiraled in the air before she landed on her side, skidding across the pavement while the gravel dug into her skin.  The monster stumbled forward slowly, hissing and slurping as the aquanette tried to get back up to fight  but she simply didn't have the strength to, making her easy prey for the encroaching monster.

Using a giant hand to grab her around the torso and pin her arms, the monster rose the ocean warrior towards the moon, showcasing to the other two monsters there who will be successful in vanquishing the ocean warrior.

The aquanette struggled, kicking and squirming to try to get the monster to release her, only for the grip to tighten.  She screamed as the monster slowly compressed her rib cage, flexing slightly to illustrate the power and control it had in deciding whether to leave the fighter whole or not.  The pain subsided as the musician whimpered slightly before turning her gaze towards the monster.  Blood red eyes shone from black sockets as a sinister smirk stretched across the monster’s face who held back one of their hands to prepare for the finishing blow, causing the aquanette to believe that if there were ever a time to voice last wishes, now would be it.

“’RUKA!!!”

“WORLD SHAKING!!!”

A torrent of wind travelled down the alley as it tore away at the road and buildings that were too close to the force.  It stuck the monster in the back, tearing a hole straight through it as the musician fell gracelessly to the ground.

A second monster rushed forward to grab the aquanette who rolled out of the way as a familiar blonde wearing a sailor suit like her own barreled forward to provide a powerful slash attack to one of the monsters.

“SPACE SWORD BLASTER!!!”

The monster was completely cut through as it began to fall to the ground in two pieces.  The blonde paused for a moment before turning quickly towards where she’d seen her friend.  “Michi?!”

“DEEP SUBMERGE”

Blue eyes widened as they watched the final monster in their battle get completely torn apart by the powerful force of an ocean storm, decimating in place to reveal the long-sought after aquanette.

Silence ensued throughout the street as the two stared at each other, the moment feeling so surreal as they both stood in matching sailor uniforms surrounded by a group of fallen animals that had previously been hosts to the monsters they had just fought..

Haruka was certain that she was either dead or dreaming because this was just too bizarre to be reality.

“’Ruka?”

The blonde shook off the reverie as sky blue locked back toward tear filled sea green eyes before the aquanette rushed forward to embrace the bewildered blonde.

“Please tell me it’s really you!”

Calloused hands moved to lightly hold the violinist as a humorless chuckle escaped the athlete.  “Shouldn’t that be my line?”

The aquanette squeezed the blonde tighter as she wiped her tears into the blonde’s shoulder.  “This isn’t a joke ‘Ruka!  I was scared I was never going to see you again!”

Tears formed to cloud sky blue eyes, encouraging muscular arms to pull the aquanette closer.  “I was too, Michi.  I was scared you finally got sick of having me around.”

“Never!”  The aquanette cried as she pushed out of the embrace.  “I could never dare to think of not being with you ‘Ruka!  I mean I…”

Tears flowed softly down the aquanette’s cheeks as she let a slender hand cup the blonde’s cheek.  “I love you.”

Sky blue eyes widened as tears fell softly and a calloused hand moved to rest above the slender hand on her cheek.  “Michi?”

“I love you Haruka.  I can’t remember a time when I didn’t.”

“Michi…” sky blue eyes averted as the calloused hand removed the slender one from the tear-stricken cheek.  “You’re wrong Michi.  You don’t love me."

A pained expression crossed the aquanette's face as the blonde continued to turn away.  "You can't love me”

That final line caused frustration to well within the aquanette as her voice took and irate tone.  “God, if you say it’s because we’re both girls I swear-”

“It’s not because we’re both girls!”

Shock riddled itself across the violinist's face as the blonde began to fidget uncontrollably, causing the aquanettte to become concerned.  “’Ruka?”

“I’m not a real girl Michi…”  The blonde stated softly as she turned her bleary eyes towards the violinist.  “I... I’m not a real girl.”

“’Ruka…”  The aquanette reached out to rest her hand on the broad shoulder, shaking her head at the statement she'd heard the blonde say far too often.  “’Ruka, don’t let what your mother says get to you.  You can’t-”

“It’s not my mom, it’s the truth!”

“But-”

“I wasn’t born a girl!”

The aquanette took a step back, bewilderment clearly etching across her face.  “What-"

“I mean!  It was!  Your mirror!  And my parents!  And…”

The blonde sighed as she lowered her gaze.  “I mean, I- I found your mirror… in my room and… and I just….”

The athlete shook her head as she refused to meet the sea green gaze.  “I was going to destroy that damned thing.  I mean, it took all your attention, it convinced you to go to Mugen, it… it took you away from me… but then…  there was a flash and… and...”

Sobs began to interrupt her thoughts as she tried to plow through the rest of the story.  “And then my dad… and my mom… and… and…”

The blonde shook as the sobs began to wrack her body.  “A-And they said I-I was… I was sup- supposed to be… a-a boy… but… I was b-born… different?…  wr-wrong?”

A humorless, hysterical chuckle left the blonde as she raised her head to the sky.  “I mean… I-I must’ve been born wr-wrong… They wouldn’t c-call it ‘corrective’ surgery if you’re born right, r-right?”

“’Ruka…”

“I’m not a real g-girl, but… but I wasn’t a b-boy either… I was… I was both?...  Neither?... I… I…”

The tears came full force as the blonde tried desperately to hide her tear stained face in her hands.  “I-I don’t know w-what I am Michi!  I just…”

The blonde shook her head as the tears continued to stream down her face.

“I don’t know what I am…”

The aquanette stepped forward, cupping the blonde’s cheeks to wipe her tears as sea green released their own tears.  “I know that you’re wonderful.”

Tears continued to run down the aquanette’s cheeks as she continued to wipe the one’s on the blonde’s cheeks away.  “I know that you’re wonderful, and beautiful, and strong, and kind, and funny.  And I can’t tell you what you are, but I believe what matters more is _who_ you are.”

The tears quickened their paces on all cheeks as the aquanette let a soft sniffle escape her as she gave her friend a reassuring smile.  “And who you are is the most incredible person I could’ve ever been blessed enough to meet.”

“Michi?”

“I love you Ten’ô Haruka, I love you for who you are.”  The aquanette repeated as she caught the last of the blonde’s tears.  “Nothing could possibly change the way I feel about you.”

“Michi…”

The name was barely breathed out as the aquanette leaned towards the warm air that she could feel against her lips, subconsciously chasing it until her lips connected with the blonde’s who noticeably stiffened from the contact, causing Michiru to feel like she might’ve overstepped her bounds.

The blonde noticed the slender hands slip slowly away the blonde’s cheeks as those soft lips slowly began to retreat from the blonde’s own.

Haruka couldn't lose Michiru again.

The blonde grabbed the violinist's face, crashing their lips back together as the athlete returned the kiss with as much need as she felt, the tears mixing in with the kiss as the blonde savored the bittersweet taste that she had been longing for her whole life.

It really did taste like the sea.

Strong arms moved to wrap around the aquanette’s waist, moving slowly as they trapped the violinist to stay close, until the athlete broke the kiss to lift her into the air, spinning her effortlessly in place before holding her as closely as possible.

“Please don’t leave me Michi.”

“I promise, I never will.”

“I’m sorry I snapped at you yesterday.”

“It’s okay, I never blamed you.”

“Michi, I can’t keep pretending with my life anymore.”

The blonde’s arms loosened as she averted her gaze, tears slowly trickling down her face again.  “I’m not a real girl Michi.  I don’t wanna keep pretending that I am one.”

A slender hand moved to cup the blonde’s cheek, wiping away the tears that continued to sneak past her eyes.  “Then don’t Haruka.  Be the person you want to be.”

“That’s just it Michi.”  The athlete stated flatly as she removed the hand from her cheek.  “I don’t know who I want to be.  I-” a hysterical laugh escaped the blonde as her head rose to the sky.  “I don’t even know what to do next!  I mean, my mom just kicked me out so I have no home, there’s nothing left for me at school, there’s just nowhere for me to go!”

“Then stay with me ‘Ruka.”

The blonde turned her gaze towards those pleading sea green eyes as the slender fingers she’d pulled away from her cheek began to intertwine with her own.  “Stay with me.  Mugen offers free boarding to all their students, you can go their for school and…”

The aquanette paused, suddenly feeling very scared at losing her friend over this conversation again as she slowly hugged her friend, half to reassure herself that her friend was indeed there and half to keep the blonde from running away.  “And then we can be together in a place where no one can interfere with that.”

“Michi, if I go there they’ll tell my mom-”

“Kaori-sensei will help with emancipation.”

She could almost feel the disbelief radiating from the blonde causing her to hold her friend tighter to keep the blonde by her side.  “She’s helping me with it.  I told her I would leave if she didn’t allow it, and that there would be plenty of other schools willing to take me in.  It won’t be immediate, but eventually I’ll be considered my own guardian so that my father can’t threaten to take me out of Mugen.”

The aquanette eased slightly as she searched for those beautiful sky blue eyes she had fantasized of for so long.  “And she said she’d do the same for you.  She’s rather desperate to add you to the ranks at her school.”

The blue eyes gazed on at the aquanette’s sea green, searching for any trace of doubt in the violinist eyes.  “Michi, I…”

The blonde paused, averting her gaze as cheeks began to redden in embarrassment over the question that was about to be asked.  “Michi... do you think I… I could register as… as a boy?”

A soft smile graced the aquanette’s face as she pulled the hand her fingers had intertwined with towards her cheek.  “I’m certain we can get Kaori-sensei to pull a few more strings for us.”

The blond let out a soft chuckle as he shook his head.  “You always did have everyone wrapped around your finger.”

“Everyone but you it seemed.”  The aquanette admitted in a mirthful tone, “It was largely frustrating feeling like you were the only one who wouldn’t notice me when your attention was all I desired.”

“Oh trust me, I noticed you.”  The blonde admitted as his free hand cupped the aquanette’s cheek.  “I just didn’t think my attention could amount to all that much with all the other admirers you always happened to have.”

“They were more of a nuisance than anything to be honest.”  The aquanette stated flatly as she rolled her eyes.  “Not to say that they weren’t nice and all, but it was irritating when they’d fight so hard to get my attention while I was trying to enjoy my time with you.”

The aquanette gave a soft smile, leaning slowly closer as she rose to plant a soft kiss on the blonde’s lips and lingered close.  “All I’ve ever wanted was to spend all my time with you.”

The blonde bushed slightly as his hand subconsciously squeezed the hand that was intertwined with Michiru’s.  This moment just felt so… perfect.  As if here, in this moment, Haruka finally felt complete, had fully found himself.

…

Of course, there was one last thing that the blond wanted that would really help to feel complete.

“Michi…”

“What do you need ‘Ruka?”

“I… I just…”  The blond used his free hand to scratch the back of his head before releasing a sigh.  “Will you… cut my hair for me?”

"Of course I will."  The aquanette answered, before a sly smirk scratched across her face, "However..."  She ran her hands through the long golden locks before bunching some in each hand and placing them at the top of the blond’s head.  “Are you sure you don’t want to look like this?”

The blond laughed as he swatted the violinist’s hands away who was responding just as mirthfully.  “I told you, I’m not interested in becoming a dumpling-head.”

The two laughed together, the sound of their joy echoing through the empty streets as time seemed to stop in that private reality they were able to exist in.

Until a strong gust burst through to bring them back to reality.

Both heads turned towards where the supernatural guide was leading their attention to.

It was Mugen Academy.

“Something’s happening there, isn’t it?”  The blond asked as his voice turned serious.  “I mean, these suits, the monsters.  That’s why you left, isn’t it?”

The sea green eyes fell to the ground as the aquanette avoided looking back towards the reborn senshi.  “It is.”

She couldn't look at the wind warrior as the concern she knew was inevitable burst forth, the blond turning towards the violinist.  “Why didn’t you tell me Michi?!  Why did you just run off and put yourself in danger like this?!  Don’t you trust me?!”

“Of course I do ‘Ruka!”  The aquanette shouted before realizing her volume.  She quickly turned back away as she began to hug her elbows.  “It’s just… It’s just that I wasn’t sure how to tell you.  I mean, what was I supposed to say?  That I was transferring to Mugen because I believe they hold a nest of monster's that I'm duty-bound to stop because I suddenly developed magical powers?  Honestly it still feels surreal to _me_.”

The aquanette turned away, as the blond internally cussed at himself for being so insensitive.  The last argument they’d had had them separated for a day and a half.

The blond wasn’t about to live with her absence again.

The athlete sighed, moving forward slowly and wrapping his strong arm around his dearest friend from behind, the athlete pulled the aquanette as closely to him as possible.  “I’m sorry Michi.  I didn’t mean to upset you, I just... I don’t want you getting hurt.”

The aquanette noticeably relaxed, letting her own arms hug the blond's as she leaned back into his embrace.  “I know ‘Ruka.  I didn’t want you getting dragged into this mess.”

“But Michi, is this really what you want?”  The blond asked softly, kissing the sea tresses as he held his friend close.  “I mean, do you really want to spend your life fighting like this?”

“I don’t have a choice ‘Ruka.”  The aquanette answered as she snuggled deeper into the blons.  “It’s destiny.”

“Yeah, but look at how many of these monsters we're fighting just now.  I mean, what if it’s too late to stop what they’re trying to do?”

“ _They_ are not what we’re here to stop.”  The aquanette stated, pulling out of the embrace to look the blond in the eyes before turning to look back at the towering academy as her voice took on a determined tone.  “And it has to be stopped, no matter what the cost.”

Tears began to mist over sea green eyes as the aquanette stared at the building that had taken her from the life she’d known, to throw her onto the front lines of a hidden war.  “I can’t walk away from this ‘Ruka.”

“Michi,” the blond reached out to grab one of the violinist’s hands as his blue eyes hardened with sheer determination.  “I don’t fully understand what’s going on, but if you’re going to involve yourself in it, then I’m gunna be right here with you.”  The aquanette turned watching as a reassuring smile crossed the blond’s lips.

“I won’t walk away from you Michi.  I’m here with you through to the end.”

A shaky smile spread across the aquanette’s face as she wiped a single tear, knowing that her friend probably didn't understand the full weight of the words he'd just said.  “Thank you so much ‘Ruka.  It truly means the world to me.”

The blond nodded in assurance as he began to look towards the building that would now be both home and battlefield to the two.  “So, what do we do next.”

“Right now we go to my place.”  The aquanette deadpanned.  “We get our rest, prepare your transfer to Mugen and ensure that your enrollment occurs without any incident.”

“And then what?”

The aquanette continued to stare at the building ahead of her, steeling herself with the resolve it would take to fight and possibly die for their newfound mission.  “Then the true battle begins.”

“Alright.”

The aquanette sighed as she turned back to the blond.  “Are you sure this is what you want ‘Ruka?  Do you really want to fight?”

“I want to be wherever you are Michi.”  The blond answered without hesitation.  “And if that happens to be a battlefield then that’s where I’ll be.”

A soft humorless chuckle escaped the aquanette as she shook her head towards the blond.  “I’m so grateful to have you here with me through all this.”

“I’m not abandoning you Michi.”  The blond reassured.  “I’ve told you just as much.”

“Then I hope you’re ready for what’s coming next.”  The aquanette stated uncertainly, turning towards the academy one last time.

“Because tomorrow we meet our destiny.”


End file.
